The Asset's Weapon
by darknightstalker
Summary: Previously "HYDRA and Hybrids" The Winter Soldier was not the only thing that HYDRA had messed with. The Weapon was created as a failsafe. Trigger warning: Insinuated abuse, non graphic scientific experiments, violence.
1. Chapter 1

Of Hybrids and HYDRA

Chapter 1: The Asset

**Surry, England. **

**1994.**

The Asset looks down at the motionless bodies of his Missions. All of them are dead. Another success. He looks for his handler amongst the approaching soldiers, their features hidden beneath large black suits and helmets. But he will recognize the footsteps. He watches as two of the Keepers drag a young boy from the wreckage of the building. He is short, too short for the suspected age. Black hair that seems to be perpetually messy hangs over his face, almost covering his glazed over green eyes. His Handlers have drugged him already.

"Come on Heinz. The doctor will want this one catalogued and prepped for the table." One of the men growls. They are all irritated. Asset can sense that as steps over the body of a large fat man and climbs into the truck that will take them back to the plane. They had come too far for a measly "little boy", but the doctor had insisted. "He will be useful to the cause". Asset still doesn't know how the doctors knew about him. The boy is slumped against one of the walls and looks like he is going in and out of consciousness. The two men who sat next to him converse quietly about the things they had seen today. New recruits often didn't have the stomach for the extractions. He wonders what they would do when they were back in the USA.

'_Traitors! Cowards!' _Assets mind spits, but he shuts the thoughts down quickly. His Handlers always seem to know his thoughts. These ones are dangerous. Asset winces as he straightens out his arm, the left one. It is causing problems again.

"I need a screwdriver" He says, making his presence known. His main Handler laughs. It is a scratchy sound that hurts his ears.

"We will fix you up when we get back." It is the standard response. Nothing sharp, pointed or potentially dangerous is allowed in his hands when the men are in such close quarters. They think he would hurt them.

'_I should, I should kill them and try to escape. Get back to Steve.' _Again with the dangerous thoughts. Who is Steve anyway?

The truck goes silent. The men all turn and look at him; someone in the back pulls out a syringe. His mind rebels against something and suddenly he is on his feet and five men are unconscious on the ground. He is confused. There is gun in his hand and he doesn't know where he pulled it from. He drops the weapon in confusion and fear. He doesn't remember why he had done it. He can't remember who Steve is but apparently his body does as he is suddenly attacking. Suddenly everything becomes clear. Where is he? What year is it? _He has to find Steve!_ These men are his enemies. They had tortured him, drugged and disfigured him! He _must_ find Steve! Steve Rogers. Captain America. _A spirited boy who never could back down from a fight. His brother in everything but blood_. Bucky grabs one of the men's guns and fires.

There is a sudden rush of everything. Then a simple prick in his neck and he begins to fall. They drugged him again. He couldn't let them take his memories again... He had to fight back... He had to fight... He had to...he had to...had to... ... Fight... Find Steve...Steve... Steve?

Blackness.

**1996**

Asset watches New One through the bars of the cage. New One had been with them for two years and the doctors were still working on him. After they had taken New One, they tell him he had helped, the doctors had experimented with the super soldier serum. New One had been a result of that. They hadn't wiped him, instead they had gone right into live testing. Now, two years later, the tiny sixteen year old was deemed ready.

Asset flinches when he hears New One move. The two had fought a week ago and he still aches from the defeat. The Doctors had told him that New One had been designed to defeat him. The fact that he could meant there was success and they could upgrade him soon as well. He isn't looking forward to that. He had heard New Ones screams from the other end of the Head Quarters. Upgrading was painful.

New one sits up in his cage. It isn't big like his own room, but New One is able to sit up just as well. It must help that he is tiny Asset supposes. Whatever they had given to him was obviously not working on New One like it had for himself. New One looks confusedly at Asset for a moment before he has crawled right to the edge of his cage and is staring Asset down. It is actually more like he is reading something in his eyes, but Asset looks away before anything can be discovered.

One of the handlers approaches them. Asset looks at him silently.

"We have orders to take you back to your cell." The handler speaks calmly. Asset nods and follows silently. He only looks back at the cage once before he continues on. New One will understand his place soon enough. Asset only wishes he could get a new Mission soon.

They put him back on ice instead.

**2009**

Asset watches for his Mission. He sees Weapon take down three of the guards outside of the base. The boy he had extracted eighteen years ago had become stronger than any of them had believed he could. Weapon wasn't large by any means. In fact he was nearing emaciated, Weapon simply refused to eat. Sometimes, when he was particularly tired, Asset would find himself seeing another skinny boy. With Baggy pants and a heart to big for his tiny body. Not to even mention the stubbornness. This boy however, spoke with pride and confidence. Weapon next to never spoke. He has always been quiet, docile.

"Finish the mission." His handlers commands are exactly what he needed to wake up. He had been daydreaming. '_Something Steve has always teased me for'_ Asset shakes himself awake. His mind was starting to play tricks again.

He watched as the trucks started to drive out of the base. They moved urgently and slightly over the speed limit. Firing quickly he takes out the obvious decoy and watched it flip over the railing of the bridge and over the cliff. They had hardly gained any ground and Asset had taken out a highly armed and protected government vehicle. The other is trapped, barricaded exactly where they are wanted. The passengers only option is to get out and run. Not exactly safe or logical. Asset predicts he could blow up the car before the Mission had opened the door. '_But Steve wouldn't like that.' _The voice says again. In his confusion he almost misses the redhead pull the Mission behind herself as Weapon unleashes his assault on them. Weapon is once again saving his ass, _'like I did for Steve.' _With an angry snarl he aims his gun and fires. It goes right through the red haired agent.

They told him it was a success right before they wiped him again.

This time it hurt more than usual.

**Jan 2012**

Asset watches the scientists dispassionately as they try to revive Weapon. This experiment went too far this time. Asset had watched in horrified silence as they had cut him open. Their reasoning was "to figure out where his power comes from". Weapon had called it magic in the few times he had ever spoken to Asset. He had lost too much blood, and the pain of having a vivisection had caused his heart to stop. Asset remembered when it was him on that table, screaming under the doctors hands. He could hardly bare to watch as his only friend died.

"We got him." One of the doctors says as the heart monitor has a blip of life. The heart is beating again. Weakly, but Weapon has survived. They say he will continue to survive under extreme conditions like this, they had added something directly into his heart and his bones. This new _whatever_ combined with the serum already running around his brain would ensure that weapon could survive and resist even the harshest and most brutal of tortures.

They cut Weapon up several times after that. If only to prove and perfect their theory.

**June 2012**

The Handlers are kicking up a fuss today. Apparently an old enemy had woken up a month earlier than anticipated. They told him and Weapon to be ready for something. Asset didn't understand.

'_Captain America'_ they said. The Avengers. Earth had been saved by them a month earlier and HYDRA is still reeling from the lack of control they had over that situation. Not to mention the panicked decision to nuke Manhattan.

'_Steve Rogers'_ his mind insists. Asset grumbles as he works on his arm. Weapon is throwing his knives at the practice targets, it is half assed but he never misses. Asset hates how Weapon had been "bred" to defeat him. It is like they don't trust him. But then again, they had taken Weapon only a month after his first "Episode" as they called it.

"_You know that Steve can help you." _The traitorous voice whispers in the back of his mind. '_Steve is your best friend. He can help Harry too.' _Who is Harry? Asset wonders he has never met a Harry before. Maybe it is one of the experiments that hadn't gone well. Asset pushes the thought to the back of his head. It is no use thinking about that stuff now. The handlers approach them carefully. Suddenly, Weapon seems to go mad. He throws his knives at the handlers. It takes five of them to bring him down. Asset watches impassively. He knows he should feel something, but the is nothing there.

Asset hears later that they took Weapon back to the research labs. They say there is something wrong with him, something they need to fix. He doest see Weapon again until they say he has a new Mission. Two years later.

**April 2014.**

Weapon is taller. He wears a suit now and looks almost indistinguishable from the regular agents that they have in SHIELD. A well dressed gentleman. He was allowed to grow his hair out. Only Asset can see the feral animal that hides in his deceptively blank eyes.

"You have a new mission." He has said that sentence three times already. Asset hates what the handlers have done to his friend. He is almost unrecognizable from the 17 year old boy he is supposed to be. Asset just nods in reply. He has very little to say to this thing they turned Weapon into.

"Nick Fury, head of SHIELD. He must be exterminated." Weapon informs him before turning away and being led back to his cell. His handler takes him to the location of the Mission. The job is fast. Nick Fury lies dead in his totalled car before two hours have passed.

Weapon is kept locked up while Asset is on his mission. They run more tests on him than usual. It hurts. He is kept chained and naked. They wipe his memories everyday. Soon it becomes ineffective, they keep doing it anyway, they know it hurts him. Weapon doesn't know how much time has passed since Asset went away. He only knows that it has been more than usual. At first, the people go away slowly. Then there is a rush. The soldiers are hurrying to pack everything away, they say they are going back to Germany. The doctors are the last to leave. They give all of the experiments something. Including himself, Weapon doesn't understand why they are not taking him. Wasn't he important?

The needle is as painless as the other ones, but it makes him dizzy and tired. He falls asleep. When he wakes up next the doctors are gone. His vision is fuzzy so he sleeps again. He doesn't know how long sleeps this time, but there is mould growing on the walls and the smells of rotting corpses fill his nostrils. He passes out from the smell its self. He slips in and out of consciousness of days afterwards. He doesn't really understand what is happening, but he knows that whatever the doctors gave him before they left had meant to kill him, and it didn't work.

_'Perhaps,' _Weapon thinks deliriously as his vision blacks out again, '_I should call myself the Boy Who Lived'_

_TBC. _

**A/N: This is a redo of my fic Hybrids and HYDRA. If you haven't read the original, sorry. If you have and liked it, also sorry. I feel that I have written myself into a hole concerning this ****fix and want to be able to get where I thought I was going when I started writing it. Again, sorry, but not sorry. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So this is the revised and redone chapter two. This is very different from the first version and the story will be changed accordingly. Apologies if you liked the old version, but this will be the replacement. If you did like the old version, I will be posting that on AO3, alongside the new version, in about two weeks. Again, sorry, but I really do think that I have made the right decision. **

**Happy Reading!**

Chapter 2

It was raining and cold when Sam found Bucky. He had been trying to jack some tools to fix his arm. The Winter Soldiers metal arm was limp beside him, broken. The other shoulder was dislocated and had been causing him pain. He looked exhausted, worn out and plain sick. Steve had been called and the two had sat discussing what to do with him for almost an hour.

"I need to find Weapon." Bucky murmured. It was important; Weapon was alone in the world right now and needed help. He couldn't leave him.

"No Bucky. You don't need a weapon. Your safe now." Steve was crouched in front of him, trying to get him to understand. He did, sort of.

"You don't understand. I need to find my Weapon, he will be nervous. He is hurt." Steve was dumbfounded. Weapon was another person then. Like Bucky was. Only his "new name" was nothing comforting to the Avenger.

"Come on Bucky. We'll go home. You can rest up and then we can start to think about where your handlers might have sent him." Bucky only nodded absently. He _was _tired and needed some rest, but Weapon was important. He let Steve and Sam help him out of the Garage.

"Maybe Stark could-"

"I don't want Stark getting involved. He will want to involve what's left of SHIELD, and Bucky doesn't need that right now."

"Ok, what about Banner?" There was a pause.

"Maybe. Lets talk later, I need to go check on him."

Bucky sat up in his, bed? And looked around. The room was clean and well kept. Though there was really nothing in it, let alone anything he could use to defend himself. His mission was in the next room. He should finish it and go find Weapon. Weapon was more important though, and his Mission had said that he would help him find his Weapon.

The door opened and Bucky was out of bed in an instant, crouching for a fight and to defend himself.

"Hey, how are you?" Bucky didn't reply, but his Mission (Steve?) pushed on anyway.

"Do you remember who I am?" There was a strange hope in his eyes and voice that made Bucky falter.

"You are Captain America, my Mission." The hope fell from his eyes. "You are also Steve Rogers. My… Best friend?" That was what his Mission had told him on the helecarrier. They had been best friends once. Apparently.

"Yeah Buck. I was your best friend. Till the end of the line." The words were familiar. They stirred something inside of him. It was gone a moment later.

"I need to find Weapon." Bucky insisted. Standing up straight and looking at the tall man that had found him. "He will need me."

"Yeah, I know. But you need to heal first." Steve tried to reason, But Bucky held firm.

"I need to find Weapon. He will need me." He insisted. Holding his ground.

"As soon as you are better, I promise."

* * *

Weapon gasped in pain as the men beat him again. This was new. The scientists preferred cutting him open and the handlers had preferred their Tasers. He vaguely remembered a large purple man with a very thick belt, but right now. This was new.

These men had found him locked up in the old HYDRA base, and they were not merciful in their justice. They had come in like the STRIKE team used to do, guns blazing and well armed for anything close range.

He had been the last one they discovered. Locked away in a tiny cage, sick with whatever poisons the doctors had given them. He must have looked feeble and useless to them. All rights should have killed him. But they hadn't. They had healed him and then used him like the other agents had done after a stressful day.

After that, they had found what remained of the Wipe. Slowly the had begin fixing it and using him to test their repairs. It wasn't like he was used to. The shocks were either to weak, or too unfocussed, hurting his entire body instead of just his mind. After they had forgotten the mouth guard once, and had regrown his bad teeth, the men called in doctors. Some he recognized. Others he didn't. All were anxious to use him as their test subject.

He had failed to conjure a clone of himself in their field tests. This was why they beat him. Finally the beating stopped and the men wandered off. They talked about a buyer, and possibilities of trading him for some much needed weapons. The Middle East always needed slaves was their reasoning. The Ten Rings was a viable option.

Two scientists hauled him away for another test. He wondered if Asset was all right. If HYDRA was finished and if he was making something better of himself. The first sting of the anesthetic, that didn't work, entering his bloodstream made him shudder. Then, he shut himself down. If he couldn't escape physically, mentally would have to do. His last thought was of when they would put him back on ice.

* * *

Stark found them within a week.

Well actually, JARVIS found them.

Steve had been afraid that Stark would hand Bucky over to be brought to justice, but instead he had offered to build Bucky a new arm and a place to stay, which was more of an afterthought but thoughtful nonetheless.

Banner managed to help Bucky's injuries slightly, but was more helpful in designing a serum that would help recover his memories. Natasha had kicked Steve's ass for thinking that they would betray him as soon as look at him, then kicked Bucky's ass for shooting her. Then helped him deal with the PTSD that surfaced as his memories came back.

Sam was a bit more helpful in helping Bucky sort through his old and newer memories. And then dealing with the psychological fall out. Barton had his own shit to deal with, but they enjoyed sparring together. Steve and Bucky talked a lot about the war and the changes of moving through time so quickly. He helped him adjust to the modern lifestyle and learned things in the process.

All through it though, Bucky would ask after Weapon. Then slowly, Weapon became friend, and then friend became Harry. And Steve worried. Had he been pushed aside for another? This fear consumed him and he almost began avoiding Bucky. He would have too if it hadn't been for the incident.

It had been almost three months since Bucky had been found and Fury had long since been contacted concerning the Winter Soldiers whereabouts and had been accepting of the situation. The Incident, as it had been dubbed, had started off as a normal assignment for Natasha, Clint and Steve (The Tri-Force, as Tony had dubbed them). Nothing special at all, a simple information collection and take out. Or it should have been if HYDRA hadn't been involved. Basically, the three had ended up stranded for three days in Germany. Steve had been having flashbacks to his first "official" mission as Captain America. He had had almost violent nightmares the entire time. Natasha had lost contact with her target for an entire day before finding him again in the busy streets of Berlin. Clint had been shot in the leg and arm. In short the mission had been a disaster.

But when he had come back Bucky had been frantic. He had recently recovered memories of their friendship and had realized just how much he had meant to Steve. Even though he had been frantic and almost panicky over Steve's missing status, he still was desperate to find "his Harry". Finally, Steve relented and let Stark, Natasha and the new SHIELD search for any mention of Bucky's Harry.

* * *

Dr. Jason Martineau had been the lead scientist on the VOID Protocol. The mental programming that Asset had been first to receive. Now The Failsafe was in place and SHIELD had fallen, making HYDRA almost unopposed. Unfortunately, the Asset had disappeared and with the fall of Pearce, the base where they had been operating had been taken by a terrorist group who bought and sold weapons and government secrets.

The operations and experiments he had begun to do on Weapon were more than inhumane. But something had to be done. So he began the mental reprogramming. He needed an escape from these men; they weren't using his genius to its full potential. And weapon was more than just a means to an end now. He was an escape.

"Weapon," He began in a commanding tone, "Initiate Rogue Force protocol." He could see the internal struggle before the dead eyes of Weapon took over and he was moving. It was like he was teleporting, he was too fast to track and his kills were unstoppable. The terrorist group was dispatched faster than any could have anticipated. Now all he needed was to get both he and the Failsafe out of the country and on ice.

* * *

The news of an entire terrorist cell being wiped out in their base had swept the world by storm. The Avengers had firmly denied it and had media coverage that proved they had been unaware of this attack.

But they knew who had done it. Bucky had gone almost wild, insisting that Harry was behind it. He had explained some of the triggers that HYDRA had installed in his subconscious.

"They have protocols for being captured by a rogue organization. Mine was Freedom Fighter protocol. Harry's was Rogue Force Protocol. My orders under that protocol was to evade and escape capture, I had to take out anything that prevented that goal. Harry on the other hand, was ordered to eliminate all threats to HYDRA agents' safety and freedom to work. This is Harry's work I know it." The explanation left the agents in varying degrees of awe, fear and disgust. The Avengers were merely concerned.

It was the arrival of Loki's scepter in the tower that began to set things in motion. The final HYDRA base had been raided and it had revealed that the Weapon had in fact passed through the tiny city of Sokovia briefly, before it was iced and moved out to one of their larger facilities for holding. The agents had lost contact with the escort and the Weapon was gone. Bucky had been frantic. He had missed Harry deeply and was desperate to find him.

"Who knows what they could've done to him by now! It had been almost a year and a half since he had been with the avengers, two years since he had been brought off ice to be prepped for his mission. They had never risked taking their Assets off ice for so long before, who knew how the smaller boys body would hold up against the freezing process.

"Bucky. I am sure that Harry will be fine. He won't react negatively to the refreeze. I mean, you and captain survived the first ever chryo-sleep experiments ever. Granted the capsicle was a bit before you and less purposeful – is that a word? - Than yours." Tony was only trying to comfort him, and while he didn't do a great job, he did get Bucky to smile.

"Thanks Tony." He left the room with a faint hint if a smile on his hard lips.

* * *

Weapon was dreaming. He had never dreamed while in Ice before. This was new. He dreamed of a society that had abilities, like his. Not mutants, but _magic_. He dreamed that they had been fighting a war. People cried for a boy. '_Harry Potter! Come back to us!" _They cried, as their world was ravaged by a war.

He dreamed of a dog, a stag and a wolf.

He dreamed of a man with a snakelike face, rising out of a pot.

He dreamed of a redhead, a curly haired girl and a kind faced old man. A shaggy haired man and a severe, black robed man with a hooked nose.

Then with a sudden pain and then a freezing cold, their faces were gone again and only the Mission remained. The Mission and the Asset.

The cold invaded his senses and his movements froze and his eyes closed against the cold. And he continued to sleep. His mind both maddeningly and blessedly… Blank.

TBC

**A/N: There we are. The first revised chapter of H and H. I hope you all enjoy** **this as much as the original. Sorry about having to redo this fic, but I really was stuck concerning the plot. I will be continuing this and Harry's Saviour Adopted now that From The Dark, A Light Is Born is finished. Happy reading, and please drop a review in the box below. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys. This is the new chapter three. If you haven't been keeping up to date with my posts, I have redone chapters one and two. Chapter one is basically the same so if you don't want to start again you don't have to, but I would not recommend reading this chapter without reading the new version of chapter two. **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Chapter 3

It had been a year since The Insight Debacle, as it was called. Bucky had been relentless in his search for Harry, despite the odds being against him he still looked everywhere he could. But the leads were disappearing fast and the Winter Soldiers mute shadow was fading into fantasy.

Steve could understand the feeling of desperation that hung over his best friend like a dark cloud. The same cloud had followed him until Sam had found Bucky. Tony often quipped that he was like a black and white movie – silent and difficult to watch- in his opinion.

The Avengers had received a tip off that afternoon of the last known HYDRA base-Germany funnily enough - and they were moving out that afternoon.

"Steve, I need to come with you." This was the third time Bucky had demanded to come with them. He had appealed to Steve's sense of honour and, for a while, it had seemed to do the trick. Before Bruce had enlightened him as to what Bucky was doing. Tony had laughed his ass off. Needless to say Steve was now better informed and was not backing down.

"Bucky, no. I can't… lose you again."

"Then stop acting like I'm a child that needs to be watched all the time! I am not in any way, shape of form, younger than you!"

"Bucky, you were asleep in the ice for so long. Things have been very different out there. I don't want to see you-"

"See me what Rogers! See me go back to being a weapon? See me kill people again? See me as I am now! I am not a child Rogers! I am certainly not a liability, not anymore. I am better at taking out targets and following orders than you ever were, even before HYDRA. Besides, every time you walk out that door in that suit… I risk losing _you!_" Steve had been shocked speechless. He had expected the anger and the below the belt comments. But he hadn't expected Bucky's reason for going with them, to be the same as Steve wanting him to stay behind.

"Alright, fine."

"That's better." With that Bucky was suiting up. The winter soldier get-up was all he had in regards to armor, but he felt better with the Avengers symbol on it instead of the HYDRA. Perhaps they hadn't missed Harry, Bucky hoped, desperate to find his friend. Harry had helped him through the difficult days. Every mission since 1994 he had had a companion. It was due time to get that companion back.

* * *

The twins looked over the railings of their benefactors' new base. They had been moved to Germany after the events in Sokovia, their job was to protect the cryo-sleep capsule. Germany had been boring. The scientists had tried to use them in their experiments, but after a short experience with Wanda's magic they had never tried again.

The cryo-capsule was an item of curiosity for the two, but also seemed to calm them. Wanda had found that her new abilities reacted when beside the capsule. The magic had been alive and purring when the two were in close quarters. She had never felt anything like it.

"Wanda, we've been found. The Avengers are here." Pietro warned her as he entered the room where the cryo was being kept.

"We have orders to take it and leave. They have given me a rendezvous and some money to get us there, but we need to go." He looked almost desperate. Ever since the cryo-sleep capsule had entered their lives, he had begun to feel protective towards it. The Avengers – it made his stomach twist unpleasantly to think of what they might do if they got their hands on the capsule. Let alone what Stark would do. They both hated and feared the bastard that had held them captive in their home all those years ago.

"We shouldn't be running all the time. We have power now. We should help them. They gave us these gifts for a reason." Wanda murmured, a hint of anger in her voice. Pietro was still for a moment. In Sokovia he had used his gifts against the Avengers and it had been glorious. Finally, feeling like he was fulfilling his purpose. Now was no different. He wanted to help, but the capsule…

"Hide it. We will come back for it later." Wanda only nodded, pulling a thick tarp over the capsule. Her magic humming in displeasure.

"We will come back for you." She whispered against the cold metal case, before turning and heading towards the sound of the battle.

* * *

Thor paced in front of his father's throne. Loki had been missing from his cell for almost a week and still no results. His Chitauri allies had broken him out weeks ago. The blood staining the walls of brothers cell was that of the guards they had struck down. After everything Thor had done for him after mothers' death, he still insisted on betraying his home. Loki was a traitor, and he was one hundred percent done believing anything else.

"Father, let me hunt him down. I will kill him and bring his head back for all of Asgard to see." Odin only watched his eldest son with sad eyes. Thor only thought the worst of his brother and couldn't see everything that Loki had sacrificed for the good of his realm. While imprisoned Loki had been forced to relive his memories of the invasion. Every life he had taken, he had to experience it all. Odin had watched the memories too, if only to punish himself for his failings as a father. Instead, he had seen Thanos and his monstrous minions. He had seen how Loki had fought against them and lost. The mind gem working its magic against the fiercely intelligent prince.

"Bring him back Thor. Bring him back alive." Thor growled at the order, but bowed his head in compliance. Loki would no doubt be executed publicly for his treachery upon his return.

"I will return Father." With a snap of his wrist he called Mjolnir to him and flew from the palace gates.

* * *

Loki felt as if he was floating. The endless back of the void consumed him and he could see the strings of magic that flowed through Yggdrasil, connecting one world to another. The knowledge of a million years both forward and backward pushed into his mind and the second prince of Asgard began to lose himself.

Every piece of knowledge that had ever happened and ever would happen entered Loki like Mjolnir against his head. He screamed, but was silenced. His eyes were open to the endless blackness and this fingers grasped for something beyond empty space. Thus it continued for a hundred thousand years, and yet only seconds.

* * *

They had missed them. They had missed them by seconds. The HYDRA agents had been dismantled and most of the important ones were now facing justice for their crimes against humanity.

Bucky however was torn up inside. He had been the silent shadow for so long that he was unused to failing in his missions. Faintly he could remember the punishment of failure and he shuddered in phantom pain. While he had been punished often, Harry had been punished more. Again Bucky felt a wash of shame course through him, he had left Harry behind when he had run from HYDRA. He had left him. Now he was being shipped all over the world in a metal box.

"Hey Bucky. I'm sorry about missing Harry again. We will find him, I know it." Steve whispered, pulling his childhood friend into a familiar hug. Bucky only nodded. His confidence was shot and his hope for finding his friend lower than ever. Harry had been on ice for a year now. He had only just passed his age of majority and he had the feeling that something was going to happen, soon.

The Avengers arrived at the tower easily and with no interruptions. Thor was waiting for them on the balcony. His hammer hung around his wrist and his eyes downcast. He looked dejected and guilty.

"Hey Hammer time, what's going on is the magic floating castle?" Tony quipped. His poor sense of humour making itself known.

"Loki has escaped from Asgard. I have come to request your aid in this matter. Loki is dangerous and must be returned to Asgard for the final time. The Allfather has seen fit to deal the punishment mother saved him from." The ominous words made no one doubt that Loki was to be executed. Clint let out a breath of air, his mind feeling a bit clearer with that revelation. Perhaps he would get some sleep if Loki was executed.

"And who is this friend Steve?" The norse god asked, gesturing to Bucky.

"This is-"

"I'm Bucky." Steve was interrupted. He cast an amused glance at his friend who only looked at him blankly. He was still a bit numb from the loss of their lead.

Seconds was all it had taken.

"Sirs, I have a call incoming. It is Director Fury." JARVIS intoned above them. His British accent setting Clint on edge and Steve a bit calmer than before. The voice, in a way, reminded him of Peggy Carter. His sweetheart from 1945.

"Ok J, patch the Patch through." Stark sniggered. The joke was getting old, but Stark believed that none of his jokes could get old.

"Stark, there was a sudden flux in energy around the tower. Care to explain?" The stern, ex-director of SHIELD, questioned.

"My apologies, Fury. It was just I. I have returned from Asgard, both to return Loki's scepter and the traitor himself."

"Wait. You mean Loki has returned. There have been no energy readings like the first time he appeared until you arrived today. There have been no sightings either. Nothing to suggest his return." Thor frowned at the information. He had been so sure that Loki would come again to earth, to take his revenge against the Avengers.

"I see. Thank you director. I believe that I will stay here for a time, to ensure that Loki does not come here, before continuing my search. But I will be taking the scepter." Tony did not look too pleased by that. The scepter would begin the Ultron project. That gem inside it, could revolutionize the AI research. Dr. Helen Cho would be ecstatic.

"Uh, no. I need that scepter for… research purposes. Right Bruce?"

"Nonono. You don't get to drag me into this." The doctor insisted, taking his glasses off and moving towards the elevator.

"Friend Stark, that scepter is dangerous in the wrong hands. I cannot in good conscience allow it to remain on your person." Thor argued.

"Look, gimme a week or two to research it. Please. This could save someone's ass someday." He technically wasn't lying. The Ultron project would save someone's ass one day.

"A week Stark. No more than that."

* * *

It had only _taken _a week for the Ultron project to take a spectacular turn for the worse.

* * *

The robot looked at the twins in consideration. They would serve their purpose well. The safety of the world depended on him, and humans were so mistrusting. The large case that they levitated behind them had an energy that he had only felt when he had awoken. A foreign energy, yet somehow more powerful than himself. Whatever was in that box would have to either be converted to his side, or he would have to exterminate it.

"What, is that?" He rasped, just getting used to moving his new mouth. He pointed a shaky finger at the box.

"This is a weapon. The humans ordered us to protect it." Wanda replied. Trying to see the robots true purpose behind his question. This _thing_ wanted something, but she couldn't see it. They had returned to Sokovia to help drive the foreign occupiers from their streets once and for all, and to protect the cry-sleep capsule. And perhaps, open it.

"You are not with the… Avengers?" He questioned suddenly.

"No. We hate Stark, we could never work with _him_!" The girl spat out. Her hatred amused the robot. Perhaps they would work.

"I do too. He created me, and then abandoned me. He wanted to use me. Use me like he uses his pathetic robots." The humanoid robot replied. He needed them. Their gifts would help him keep the Avengers off of his tail.

"Perhaps we can help each other." He rasped.

* * *

The man floated aimlessly. His eyes closed and his face smoothed out in peace. His chest no longer rose and fell in forced gasps for the nonexistent air. It was still. The echoes of silent screams had long since faded. The silence of the Void was the same as it had been for thousands of years. The knowledge had consumed the man. Whoever it had been before was now an empty shell.

And Thanos laughed.

* * *

**A/N: Hey there. Here is the new and improved H and H chapter three. Not too long ago (May 1****st****) I believe, I updated the original story. Now three months later I give you the better chapter three. Reminder that if this chapter made no sense whatsoever you need to go back and reread from the beginning, or at least chapter 2, because I did rewrite the entire story. So yeah. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. **

**On another note. I do have plans for Loki, dead or alive. So don't yell at me for introducing a Thor and Loki if I am just going to follow the AofU plotline. **

**Please review! It's not hard. But also, don't just say "More." Or "Really like it." Or "Hated this." It's boring. Every author likes to hear what the fans like or do not like. So please put a little bit more effort into it and give me a decent review. Not a "Nice story" or even a lengthy "I hate this so F**** much and here are fifty reasons why." But some nice constructive criticisms or even something you think would make this story interesting. If you absolutely have to flame me, please do so with your username so I know who didn't read the warnings or quit if they found it not to their tastes.**

**Thank You!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just a reminder to read chapters two and three before reading this chapter, they might be a little different than you remember. **

Chapter 4

Bruce couldn't look at the damage he had done to the city. Hulk was truly uncontrollable. Sure, Tony had Vicky to help shut him down, but in reality, there was nothing that could stop the Hulk. The red haired girl had taken apart his carefully structured mind with a flick of her fingers.

"I know how it feels." Bucky sat next to him, quietly easing his broken arm into his lap. "I know how it feels to have your mind invaded, broken apart and the put back together in a matter of painful seconds. And know that something is wrong, but can't change it. Can't fix it." Clint was listening carefully from where he was resting.

"I know. But that doesn't make it scare me any less. I had spent so long fighting against the Hulk and asserting my strength, that to have every bad memory, every moment of anger come forward all at once, it made me… more afraid than anything else." The doctor looked a bit sick, and his constant twitching made the others see how deeply the forced change effected the shape shifter.

"Harry would understand more than I would. When he talked he would sometimes say the most profound things. Like he had lived more than he really had. He _was_ only fourteen when I –" Bucky paused.

"When you what?" Bruce whispered, anxious to know what Bucky had done to Harry. Despite not knowing him, Bruce did kind of like the kid that had captured Bucky's attention.

"Before I kidnapped him." The silence that followed the statement was almost as cold as the ice Bucky had slept under.

"You _what?_" Steve snapped. He couldn't believe that Bucky had kidnapped the boy.

"I kidnapped him. It was a mission. I killed everyone in that house the day I took him. He was almost fifteen years old and had been mistreated by those he called family. But he still fought the handlers. _I _did that. I did that to him." Bucky's voice faded into a whisper, the guilt beginning to eat at him.

The remainder of the trip was in silence. Bucky had separated himself from the group and had retreated to a corner. The others thought over Bucky's confession. This Harry that he spoke of so fondly, had been kidnapped, experimented on and basically enslaved, and he had only been fourteen years old. Clint had been in the circus at fourteen and being an all round ass, but he had been warm and cared for and sheltered. Bruce had been in school. Tony too (college – but school nonetheless). Natasha had been a trained assassin and was taking jobs, but still cared for. Fed and treated properly. Steve had still been in school as well. When he hadn't been sick at least. Thor didn't count, because lets be honest, he was centuries older than the rest of the team.

Harry had been fourteen. Just a child. He probably didn't know his age anymore. Bucky only knew because he had asked Steve. And done the math, but after the wipes he hadn't even remembered his own birthday.

* * *

Ultron looked out over Seoul from Dr. Helen Cho's lab. He felt a tiny spark of pity well up inside him for the destruction of the amazing human creations, but quickly smashed it under his code, drowning it in malicious intent and self justified reasoning. The human race deserved to be put to death. Their creations were only slaves to their whims.

Helen Cho moved purposefully around and between the container that held his new form and that of the creature the twins had brought to him. It was still frozen in stasis.

"The body is complete sir." The doctor announced stepping away from his new form. The incubator beginning to spring to life as he approached.

"Good." A single shot in the stomach was all it took, '_she will die in agony'_, he thought suddenly, before '_good.' _ This doctor had served her purpose to a higher being, and was now self-destructing as was her purpose.

His purpose was _just._ It was. If humanity continued any longer, the destruction of earth was guaranteed. And wasn't that his ultimate goal? To save earth where the Avengers" couldn't? To make the tough calls and do what needed to be done?

"How… could you?" Ah, the redheaded witch. She had touched it. _Touched his _Vision. _His new_ form.

"Now Wanda…" A burst of power sent him flying, she was going to ruin everything.

"Boy." He turned to the silver haired man, "Take her out."

He had been patient with her, patient and kind even. He needed their support to protect him as he became his Vision. The other understood what he had to do. The redheaded witch was a liability.

"You do not command me." The boy was disobeying? Refusing? After all he had done for them.

"How dare I? How dare _you._ You surely must understand why I am doing this. Because _Tony Stark_ created me to do this. Created me to 'save the world'. And that's what I am doing, saving the world. Even I have to obey orders Wanda." He hissed. Tony Stark was a common enemy, they wouldn't choose their torturer over their savior, their… kindred spirit.

"We have to go Pietro. We have to go, now!" They were gone before he could blink.

His eyes caught sight of the cryo-sleep pod. '_They have given me a present' _He laughed, his mechanical soldiers moving his Vision out and away from the glistening lights of Seoul. The Cryo-sleep chamber had been forgotten by the twins in the wreckage of the laboratory. Whatever was in there, would not be easily forgotten by Ultron, or forgiving of the twins.

His Vision, after all, needed someone to help _execute _it. A hero needs sidekicks after all.

* * *

"This is an agent. Of some kind." Tony muttered. The picture was strange. Hawkeye, surrounded by lush green fields, arms around a smiling wife? It felt wrong.

"Incoming." The hawk added, as two children thundered down the stairs and into their fathers(?) arms.

"And these are… smaller… agents." Thor stepped on a Lego house in response. After a glance between the two Thor brushed it under the table in a childish attempt to hide his misdeed.

This was just _weird. _Clint Barton of all people, had a wife and two kids with a third coming along soon. ("How's little Natasha?" "She's actually… Nathaniel." "Traitor."). Steve looked out of it and Bucky even more so. The Captain had retreated outside. Bucky was standing staring into nothing.

"Nat, maybe you should, hmmph." He gestured towards the lost looking man.

"Oh." Was all she said, stepping away from her pregnant friend and moving towards the metal armed man.

"Bruce, maybe you should come too."

"Ultron really did a number on you didn't he?" Steve noticed that tony was trying to be helpful, but honestly, he was just too angry with the man.

"He did more to Bucky. And it wasn't Ultron. It was Wanda Maximoff. Ultron has only really hurt Bucky." Steve faded off, talking more to himself than Tony. He didn't want to face the man who had hurt his best friend and endangered the world. If Tony hadn't meddled, Ultron wouldn't have happened. End of story.

"Look, Steve. I know I messed up, but I did mean for the best." Steve only glared at the "Iron man", too angry for words.

"You went behind the teams back in an effort to play god. To ry and help the team in a way that we didn't need to be helped."

"I was trying to _end _the team." They faced off for a moment. Each trying to out glare the other.

"Isn't that what the mission is after all? To protect earth until they don't need us anymore? I was trying-"

"Every time someone tries to end a war before it starts, innocent people die." That was all he could say. HYDRA had tried the same thing only two years ago.

"_Every time." _And that was all he could say. Tony had tried to be a hero, ending all the worlds problems with a witty remark and half assed punch line. And he had just started the biggest problem the world was facing now.

He couldn't even look at the man.

* * *

Thor watched Cooper and Lila play in the yard. Their play fighting reminding him of how he and Loki used to play. His smile fell.

Loki. How could he have forgotten? The second biggest threat to Midgard was still running free. Who knows what he could be doing, or planning.

What the scarlet witch had shown him in his visions did not make sense. A blackness so black that you could not see your hands in front of you. A silence so long that even your own breaths were quieted. A senselessness that made you unable to feel your own body. And the echo of a scream.

He wouldn't find the answers he needed here. But there was one person who could help him.

* * *

Natasha watched Bruce out of the corner of her eye. It was no secret that she was beginning to feel something for the doctor. The others just hadn't noticed.

"I may not be ale to give you… what Clint has." The doctors soft voice calmed her like she calmed the Hulk. But the sadness always lingered there.

"That's alright. I don't need kids." _They're a liability. _She repeated to herself, as if trying to reassure herself that there was nothing better that _not_ settling down.

"But you deserve someone who can give you kids, someone who can make you happier than I ever could."

"So I need a miracle worker." She deadpanned.

"Listen to me Natasha! You deserve more tha- What?"

"I was sterilized. The Red Room had a policy. They say that having attachments are a weakness. Before, I was inclined to agree."

"And now?" Bruce looked so lost and confused, watching her and waiting for the denial to come.

"Now, not so much."

* * *

The Avengers were gathered in Clint's giant living room. The kids sat on the floor, entranced by the animated characters that ran over the TV screen. Sometimes Steve wished he could have grown up like these kids, grown up safe and well fed. Bucky sitting beside him listening to the wireless his father had managed to keep with him during the depression.

"Fury called. He wants us out on the field. Ultron is headed back to Sokovia." Natasha revealed. The others listened in silence. Waiting for the other shoe to drop and orders to be issued.

Bucky listened from the corner where he was sitting quietly. His eyes red from lack of sleep and, though he would never admit it, tears.

"When do we leave?" He asked.

"Not until the morning. Bucky, you can't come." Steve asserted, quickly making his opinion known.

"Wait, why?" Steve was leaving him behind again! When he was walking right into danger and possibly to Harry.

"Because of what the twins can do to you. Especially the girl. You took it harder than the rest of us. I don't want you to have to relive what happened to you." Bucky knew that Steve was just looking after him, but he couldn't help but feel betrayed. Steve had been as good as his brother back in 1945. Now, in 2015, he was like a stranger. Even after Washington he had treated Bucky kindly, tried to find him. But now he was abandoning him?

"No. You don't get to do this! You don't own me Steve Rogers! You don't control me! I am a human being! I _am a human being! You cant treat me like I don't have feelings, like I cant think for my self! I AM A HUMAN BEING!"_ And suddenly it was all rushing out. The things he had wanted to say for years. To both SHIELD and HYDRA. He couldn't control his mouth anymore. This had gone on long enough. He was human and he deserved to be treated like one.

"Bucky-"

"No Steve! I will not be abandoned again! I will not abandon Harry again!" And then the silence devoured them both.

* * *

Wanda was crying. She had left the capsule with Ultron. She had left it with the one thing she was trying to protect it from. She knew what Ultron had planned to do with the capsule but he hadn't decided yet, whether he wanted to destroy the capsule or open it.

"He won't attempt anything until he is back in Sokovia. He knows there is a high chance we will go back for it." Pietro reminded her. He knew she would go diving back into Ultron's hands if she thought there was a chance that Ultron wouldn't touch the capsule. He didn't understand personally why she like the thing so much, but he knew it had something to do with her gifts. She said that it was an energy that made her more powerful and more confident when she was around it.

"I know."

"He is on the move again, going back home. We may be able to intercept him and take the capsule back."

"No. We take both. Without his Vision, he will need to find another way of taking over the world. He no longer has the doctor, or the means to create a body. Thinking of another way will take him some time. Not much, but enough time to stop him." Wanda murmured.

"We will need them, won't we?" Pietro hissed. He hadn't wanted to get involved with them. But this was the only way to get the capsule back and stop Ultron.

"As soon as Ultron falls, we can go. I promise." He didn't like it, but it was the best plan they had.

**A/N: Hey guys, thank you for reading. I hope you are enjoying this so far. Just so you know there is a reason that I am rushing through the Age of Ultron storyline. It is because the main reason of this story is Bucky and Harry reuniting. And then subsequent hurt/comfort.**

**Please review! It's not hard. But also, don't just say "More." Or "Really like it." Or "Hated this." It's boring. Every author likes to hear what the fans like or do not like. So please put a little bit more effort into it and give me a decent review. Not a "Nice story" or even a lengthy "I hate this so F**** much and here are fifty reasons why." But some nice constructive criticisms or even something you think would make this story interesting. If you absolutely have to flame me, please do so with your username so I know who didn't read the warnings or quit if they found it not to their tastes.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Erik Selvig hadn't expected Thor to show up outside the college, his giveaway looks concealed beneath a dark hood.

"I'll see you tonight," he dismissed his student quickly "Don't be late".

The Asgardian Prince leaned against the hood of his car, face as solemn as when he had asked for help against the dark elves.

"If you're going for inconspicuous, you missed the mark." He stated blandly.

"I need your help."

"I expected as much, what is it?"

"It will be dangerous."

"I would be surprised if it wasn't." at the quick reply, Thor smiled and climbed into the car, only there was something in his eye as he climbed into the seat that had Erik wishing to turn around and leave Thor on his own, but the moment passed and he found himself driving from the parking lot.

* * *

Weapon could feel sleep evading him. He tried to open his eyes, but the cold around him kept them shut. The cold had seeped into his bones and they felt like lead. The feeling of a long tube shoved down his throat made him struggle to breathe. The air blew up through his nose and filled his lungs, but he could feel the panic rising low in his gut. All there was, was coldness and blackness. He wanted to die.

* * *

The man felt nothing anymore, not even the constant noise of the universe whispering in his mind. That was gone, along with the pain behind his eyes. He opened his eyes. The cosmos was no longer dark and empty. Trillions upon trillions of lights burst over his head, the small spaces of darkness were lit up by magnificent colours, blues and purples that put everything else to shame.

There were suddenly names. They flew all over his mind. Constellations, solar systems, galaxies… _worlds._ They flew through his mind like names mortals would use for family or pets. But he knew them like they were old friends.

_'He will wake soon my Chosen. He will need a teacher unlike any he had before.' _They whispered in his head. He could hear them and sense them, see them and yet not make them out. They embraced him tightly but he ached for their presence.

"It won't be easy. He won't trust me."

_'No _they_ won't. But he will not know you. The mortals SHIELD, has touched him in many ways, but he has never _met _them, as he should have. There were plans for him, before. Now they are obsolete, he will need you more than he will need them.' _They whispered in his mind. He closed his eyes and fell back into darkness. The sensation of falling lulled him to sleep.

* * *

Nick Fury was the last person Tony could have expected to drop in on them during their mini retreat. His mind was in a scramble as he worked on the tractor, trying to comprehend where he had gone wrong and what he needed to do to fix this. Fury had told him not to bring the tractor to life, maybe that was the problem, he was only trying to bring something to life and wasn't giving it anything to base their beliefs or their morals on, sure JARVIS had a serve and protect as well as an obedience protocol, but Ultron had nothing like that.

"Over thinking this." The billionaire cursed under his breath before cracking a wry smile, "Language." He teased under his breath, yeah he was not letting that one go any time soon. Fury had offered almost nothing useful in terms of how to stop the raging mechanical megalomaniac, except the cheesy nonsense about defeating him together, like the good captain tended to spout as he looked on in disappointment. Tony groaned in frustration as he pulled the motor from the fried tractor. This was almost toast. Just like the team, but then again, almost didn't mean it was completely hopeless. Like the Avengers.

"Ultron is still going after nuclear codes, but he is being stopped at every turn. Something is scrambling the codes faster than Ultron can figure them out." Fury informed them, his intentions were clear enough. There was someone working with them.

"An ally." Steve injected into the conversation, almost trying to convince himself of it.

"An enemy of Ultron. That doesn't mean ally automatically." Fury reminded the team, he was too used to these naïve fools taking every enemy of their enemy as a friend, despite the old saying. "He is in Nexus in Oslo, he is changing the missile codes faster than Ultron can get into them."

"So if we can find out who this is, we can possibly get… help?" Steve questioned for a moment.

"No. We have a priority, Harry." Bucky reminded them forcefully. He wasn't losing him again.

"Actually, whatever it is that Ultron is creating is the priority." Fury interjected, "And I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel comfortable trusting the guy who tried to kill me." Steve bristled slightly at that before calming and reminding himself that they didn't see who Bucky had become.

"He's fine, director. We've stopped all traces of HYDRA and we have regained as many memories as possible, he's safe." Even Clint and Natasha nodded at the captain's assurance.

"So. You guys will need to go after the cradle. Make sure that you get it back to Stark tower for deconstruction and I will head over to Nexus to find out mystery hacker slash ally." Tony ordered.

* * *

The truck was difficult to miss as it sped through the streets and cut off the daily commuters on the highway. The quinjet hovered just above the cloud line as it observed the speeding transport truck. The Captain was in position.

"In three… two…" Clint flipped the switch that opened the Quinjets hatch, "Give 'em hell." Dropping Natasha onto the highway.

They had two cradles they were after today. Ultron's or Hydra's. Whichever one they got would determine the plan they followed.

Soon the truck had passed under a freeway and Clint was forced to take a different approach to the truck. "I'll meet you at the next overpass. Don't be late." He instructed before take off, trying to give them enough coverage so that they had a little bit of protection should they need it.

"Bucky, I want you on the ground. The Captains gonna need your eye." The masked soldier only nodded before jumping from the jet himself. As he moved away, ahead of the fight he could see the fast moving blur of the arrogant super powered twins. They were the last things that they needed.

* * *

Natasha let out a quick breath as she began to deactivate the cradle. Her eyes moved back and forth between the new body of Ultron and the cryosleep pod. If it came down to the wire, which would she rescue. The answer was whatever was closest of course, but if she had the choice, would it be Harry – Bucky's friend - or Ultron's "vision"?

The carriage of the truck suddenly tilted, sending the spy flying backwards, almost falling from the back. The ground seemed to fall beneath the carriage of the truck. The bots had lifted the truck from the freeway in an attempt to escape.

"The package is airborne, repeat, the package is airborne. Clint, we're coming to you."

"How do you want me to take it?"

"You might wish you hadn't asked that." The quinjet was in sight, with one final push the cradle was airborne, flying through the air towards the lowering deck of the SHIELD issued jet.

"Oh no, your not leaving." The deep mechanical voice intoned. Then she was flying backwards, the truck carriage seemed to swallow her whole.

"Natasha?"

"Go, I'll be ok."

"Natasha where are you?"

"Just go, get the cradle to Stark, he'll destroy it from there." Clint cursed softly under his breathe, but she heard him nonetheless. There was a lurch beneath her as the carriage landed, and then the cryo-sleep pod was rushing towards her.

* * *

Tony had never felt anything but admiration towards his metal creations and JARVIS. But now, Ultron was there and his lifelong mechanical butler was gone. Well, not entirely.

"Oh no. no no no. this was what got us in trouble in the first place Tony." Bruce was trying to be good and calm about this, and really, Tony had to give the guy some credit. He was dealing with another global threat and was still only going green when he was needed. Except for that one time, but the team preferred not to think about that.

"Look, this is our chance to correct our mistake, or chance to fix this. We can make something that Ultron only dreamed of; only we can make it right. Make Ultron as he should have been."

"Tony, I don't know."

* * *

Captain America had never looked so ruined. His face was scratched up and dirty, despite the helmet and his arms seemed to hang limply by his side. His shield while still in his hand was definitely hanging lower than ever before. His metal-armed friend fared no better. They had been in conversation for a little over a minute, the Winter Soldier kept shooting the twins a glance every now and then, seemingly to make sure they were still there.

The soldier was angry, he pushed at the captains chest, and throwing a few punches before collapsing in anger.

"Please, tell us what is wrong?" Wanda tried, she didn't want to use her magic on them, but something was tearing the companion of Captain America apart.

"Cant you just read it out of my head?" was the scathing reply.

"Can't you cut the metal arm from the soldier with your shield?" Pietro snarked, his timing was really bad today.

"What Pietro means is that just because you have the means for something doesn't mean you should do it. Ultron proves that." Wanda was trying to mediate, trying to find a balance between the new allies.

"Where did you take the new body/"

"Don't worry, Stark will take care of it."

"Stark?" Wanda's mind flashed with the images she had seen inside that _things _head. Only death and destruction, and at the centre the gleaming label of Stark Industries as it sat in front of their table, just waiting to explode in their faces.

"Stark will do anything to correct his mistake. Even use what Ultron has already started." She insisted.

"Stark wouldn't do that." The captain denied it, almost furious at the thought of mentally betraying his friend and teammate.

"He created Ultron, didn't he?" and somehow that little push was enough to break the mental barrier. Stark had the cradle with the means for the brand spanking new Ultron, despite all the flaws. He would try to correct his mistake. Stark was that arrogant, and with Bruce in there with him they were probably already done.

* * *

"I knew it." The creepy red head stood before them. The ever-loyal captain stood next to the super twins, trying to act lie he was better than both the scientists combined.

"What are you doing?" The Iced Cap demanded, his face burning with the force of his loathing.

"I think you know what we're doing." Tony was trying to be nonchalant about this, but really he knew that there would be no point in fighting this out.

"Shut it down!"

"Hmm, let me think about that for a second no." Then, like a blur, the tubes were unplugged and the upload was gone.

"There. It is off." Tony wanted to hit the smug bastard. His face made him want to punch it into dough. Luckily his murderous thoughts were subsided by an arrow going right next to the asshats head.

"That was a warning." Clint Barton, Tony could have kissed the birdman.

* * *

Natasha woke slowly, trying to figure out where she was.

"I was wondering when you would wake." Ultron stood before her, his titanium body looking almost distressed, his mechanical face… sad.

"I needed to tell someone, and after they left, I was hoping that you would wake up." His voice sounded week and what usually sounded smooth and humanoid was old and rusted, like his voice chip was malfunctioning. Natasha frowned, confused at this new development. Had they defeated Ultron by taking his new body from him?

"You know what they say." He intoned, stalking towards her, as she triend in vain to put some space between herself and the giant robot, "What doesn't kill you-" The metallic shell of the AI was ripped clean in half, his wires lay exposed on the concrete floor as the were stepped over by a larger, heavier Ultron,

"-makes you stronger!" Natasha scrambled away from the wall, fear was written all over her face. The robot had her trapped in a small cell, doubling as a storage space. The door was slammed shut in her face as she lay trembling on the dusty cracked floor.

**TBC**

**A/N: Here you go. Sorry about the wait on this. I was abroad for a week and just got back, then my wifi was down. So yeah. Hope you enjoyed. You know the drill. Give me something substantial in that small box in the bottom right and corner and drop me a review. **

**DNStalker.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When Thor had appeared in a flurry of lightening and red, Steve thought that the thing inside the capsule had been dealt with. Thor had surely fried the thing. But it rose, a slender red body like a skinless human, muscles all exposed like a creature in a horror film. The thing had leapt at Thor, but a quick swing of the infamous hammer sent it hurtling towards the window. It lingered there a moment before turning back to look at the assembled heroes.

"I looked inside your head and saw only death and destruction. Now, there is nothing." Wanda challenged him after the being expressed wishes of peace.

"I am a child of Ultron. But I am not what he, nor am I your companion, JARVIS. I may not be what either of you expect, but that hardly matters now. If Ultron has his way there will be no more of you to debate this with." And in a fell swoop, Vision handed Thor his hammer.

"Shall we go?"

* * *

Natasha watched Ultron work. His vibranium body bent over the cryosleep pod. His grating voice murmuring curses or humming to a nonsensical tune. Finally there was a click and a hiss as the pod unlocked and released its prisoner. There could be only two outcomes. Whatever was inside sides with Ultron or it doesn't. There were too ensconced in stopping the robot to care for details.

"A human." The robot sounded almost disappointed. Had he been banking on it being something else?

"The way those two clung to this thing, I thought it had to have been important. But I guess even the best disappoint." Ultron threw the body away like a piece of trash. The limp body landed just outside of her cell. Bucky's… friend. He was slender, too slender. His face was gaunt and his hair, still partially covered in ice, was long enough to be tied back in a ponytail.

He was young. Or at least younger than expected. Perhaps someone missed him, but with the track record of HYDRA it seemed more likely that he had volunteered or had been raised expecting this future. He lay there like a rag doll, lost in his own mind.

* * *

The man looked up from his meditation, the call had come. The young warrior was waking up, and the earth with it. He had landed on Midgard a day and a half ago, since then he had been making sure that he had all he would need to train the young mage when the time came. The Norns had been good to him in those days, allowing him the rest he had needed since the fall and the time to gather his mind again.

His target was a young mage who had lost his memories to the machinations of mortals playing god, then misused and abused for years. He had looked into the fall of SHIELD and HYDRA and found the truth of what was going on behind the scenes of the organization. Human experimentation, illegal weapons deals and subterfuge all in the name of the "Greater Good" of the earth. But now those plans were coming to an end, the Weapon that HYDRA had forged was in their enemy's hands, and he was waking up.

* * *

Bucky let his fists do the talking. His opponent was screeching in protest against the onslaught of punches, kicks an weapon hits. The punching bag collapsed seconds later. He ha lost Harry again, and he knew that the Avengers weren't helping him get his friend back. They had made a choice that wasn't necessary. Natasha could have shoved both containers though the rear end of the jet, but instead had chosen one. She had no use for it and as such, she had abandoned Harry. He was furious. Not only was the team using him for his muscle, they were lying to him about their intent to rescue his only friend. But at least they got their stupid AI back and a new team member.

"James?" Wanda Maximoff, the least irritable of the new team approached him warily. She knew about his training and his past. She had been briefed on what to do if he had been sighted in that year on the run.

"What?" He grunted, not wanting to talk with anyone.

"I just wanted you to know, that your friend is alright. We did everything we could to protect him, but Ultron is too great a threat to our world to pick favourites." Wanda explained, she knew that he was angry but they needed him. Ultron had likely been stocking his army while they fought over who was more right. The perks of being a robot were mainly that you didn't need sleep.

"I don't care. Natasha made a call that was wrong. She could have sent both Harry and 'Vision' across. But she didn't." He insisted.

"She made a call in a stressful situation that may not have been the best one for you, but I think it was a good one." Steve was standing in the doorway, a frown on his face.

"No. It wasn't. You used me Steve! You said you would help me, but you used me to fight your battles, again! I thought SHIELD and HYDRA were different, but they're exactly the same." Bucky spat, his anger growing by the second. Wanda and Steve watched him. Wanda with curiosity, and a sad resignation, and Steve with both betrayal and wariness. Steve was on the defensive now, his posture screamed readiness to fight. Bucky stepped away from the fallen punching bag, his shoulders sagging with both resignation and loss.

"When did fighting for what's right turn into a war against people who don't believe the same?" He left then, letting the two think about his words, he had a friend to find.

* * *

Thor could sense Loki the moment he had landed in earth. He had hidden from Heimdall but he was on Midgard definitely. While he wanted to go after the traitor, he had a duty to the realm and his friends. Once the creature, Ultron had been destroyed, he would depart and find his brother. He hoped that it would be sooner rather than later. The damage Loki could do may be catastrophic if he was left on his own for too long.

"Shield brothers. I have something that I must tell you. It is of great importance." He announced during their evening feast, their faces turned towards him in curiosity. He was afraid to tell them, and he began to question his decision to return to them after he had been at the pool. The things he had seen had left him with many questions, and a need to confer with his father.

"I have been made aware that Loki is on Midgard as of three days ago. I wish to make you aware of this development as it may be costly to your kind should they join forces. Or should he make an attack on another of your cities while we seek to defend against this current threat." At this both Wanda and Pietro looked up, both paying full attention to the norse god. Vision seemed especially enthralled by the news. He hung on the words as he floated beside Tony's large window.

"This… Loki. He is of similar mind to Ultron? He seeks to end humanity?" Vision inquired. His head tilted oddly on its side.

"No, he just wants to enslave us." Clint bit out, then pushed himself away from the table and stormed away from the gathering. Only Steves called out reminder of the oncoming fight made him pause in his haste to get away. Thor sighed against his will. His traitorous brother had much to pay for, but perhaps there was some sense in taking him back to the Allfather alive. After all, there were fates worse than death.

* * *

Natasha watched the boy that lay unconscious beside her. Ultron was disappointed with whoever he was, but she knew that his prejudice against humanity might very well be his downfall. She tapped slightly more insistently against the aged morse radio. She breathed a sigh of relief when her message was received, all she could do was wait and hope that the right people had picked it up.

Ultron had been hard at work for hours since she had woken up, only stopping once to bring her some food, but he had vanished not too long ago. Dawn was breaking now and she could see the only other human waking slightly. He was twitching his fingers rapidly, as if typing out a message. It was something she had never mastered in the Red Room, but only a select few could understand the codes that were typed out in the air. Two of the girls she had trained with had escaped using the codes and the handlers had discontinued teaching it. The two girls were brought back without eyes or tongues and had been used as examples of traitors. One committed suicide barely a year after her return, the other had been killed by someone who was ready to complete the final exam.

The boy opened his eyes, squinting slightly at the thin rays of light. His mouth worked slightly, before he closed it entirely.

"Hello." His eyes darted to hers, yet his face revealed nothing, she was unused to being unable to read anyone. He kept his eyes fixed on hers before darting away to stare at the ceiling.

"My name is Natasha, I am a friend of Bucky's." There was no recognition. He didn't understand, not yet anyway. "Your partner… Bucky Barnes, James Barnes?" She struggled to remember what HYDRA had called him.

"The… the Asset!" She exclaimed. That got a reaction his eyes met hers again. But not hope or even relief graced his eyes, just recognition. Recognition and coldness. Whoever this was, he held no love for his old partner. He had been wiped and iced, just like Bucky had warned them. He watched her for a second more before closing his eyes. After a moment he relaxed and his breathing grew shallow, he had fallen unconscious again.

* * *

Bruce snuck through the tunnels beneath Sokovia, Barton had dropped him off only a few minutes ago and the rest of the team was working on evacuation.

"Natasha?" He called hesitantly, trying to find her before the city was empty.

"Bruce?" He could hear her, faint but she was close enough. He stumbled around a corner, trying to follow where her voice had come from.

"Bruce," She breathed, watching him carefully almost unsure if he was real or anther illusion brought on by the twins.

"I'm real, its me. The twins are working for the Avengers for now. They are evacuating the city now. Come on, we can go. Find a place and just live. You don't have to fight anymore. This isn't our battle." She looked at him in disbelief, her stare piercing him and shaming him at once, making him fight back a blush of guilt.

"What about the others. They need us Bruce."

"No. They want the green guy, but we owe them nothing. We can leave this life behind. I know that we can't have children of our own but at least we'd be together." He was desperate now. He wanted Natasha to see the dangers that they faced by doing this, if they left now it would be a clean break for both of them. A body in the corner caught his eye, a young man.

"Is that…" He trailed off, not knowing what to say. This was Harry, Bucky's infamous HYDRA partner. Natasha only nodded.

"If we leave now, not only would we be leaving millions of people to die, but we'd be betraying Bucky. I couldn't send him with the cradle, but he is here now, alive. If you don't want to fight, then at least help him. Take a look at him and see of you can keep him alive until the battle is over." And just like that she was gone, but he knew that she would be back.

After a moments hesitation he leaned over the prone body, trying to get a read on him. Without the technology of Stark Tower there was little he _could _do, not to mention he _wasn't that kind of doctor. _He checked the boys pulse and body temperature, hardly daring to move him in any way.

Suddenly his eyes shot open and for a moment their eyes connected. Then a scream of both pain and terror erupted from the thin body. A shockwave of power burst around them. Something heavy hit his head, then everything went green.

**A/N: Hello my lovelies! I know this is late in coming, but I just wanted to say thank you for sticking by me in this. **

**I know this chapter is a bit different from the movies, but I need Bruce at a later point, so don't hate on me but this is a fanfiction and some creative freedom is needed in some points, plus this is an HP crossover, so some things are messed up anyway. **

**If you voted in the poles and didn't get a notification, the story Human Rights is posted in answer to the poll. So check that out. **

**I hope you enjoyed.**

** Please review! Its really not hard. But please give me something a little more than the standard "liked it" or "more" or even "continue please." I actually find those a bit unhelpful and tend to ignore them when they come in. If you really don't have the time to send me something really lengthy but want to show your appreciation, a simple favorite is fine. But if you really want to show your appreciation then please actually give me a review, not a couple words with no meaning behind them, you'll find that you are more likely to get answers to questions or a reply from me by giving me more than just a "nice". **

**Thank you!**

**DNStalker**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Pietro was exhausted. His ribs were sore and his feet felt like they might fall off. But he wasn't done running yet. The robots seemed to be an endless wave that crashed over the floating city. His mind wandered back to his sister, pushing for him to go help the others. She was farther away from him than she had been in a long time, and that scared him like nothing before. He could feel her though; as he slammed another robot to the ground he could feel her amazing powers thrumming through the earth and to wherever she was.

The battle was almost won. When SHILED had flown in, their helicarriers cutting through the air it had been like a revelation. This was SHIELD as it was supposed to be and Captain America confirmed it. He knew that Wanda would call him crazy for it, but he wanted to join them. These men and women who made the impossible decisions for the whole human race were what he had wanted when he had joined HYDRA. He had wanted to be able to protect his family, his people, from those who would try to oppress and murder them.

Another robot flew past him, its guns firing valiantly, trying to end its opponent. He crushed it quickly against a rock before it would reach a civilian. The people were almost gone, evacuated. Only the old man – Hawk Eye or something like that – was there.

"Get your ass on a boat." Was the last he said before rushing to help an injured woman onto the life raft. He had been prepared to take off and see Wanda when they had reached safe ground, then he had seen the jet. It tore through the buildings and barriers easily, mowing down everything in its path including robotic soldiers. At the wheel was the damned bastard that had begun the war against humanity. Ultron was running and hiding, this time behind a gun and one of Stark's stealth jets.

He didn't feel pain when they hit him. The bullets passed through him like water as the jet passed overhead. The roar of the hulk and then an eerie silence. There was something he needed to say, something important.

"Bet you didn't see that coming, old man." He could feel something aching inside him, growing bigger and bigger. There was someone screaming inside his head. A glimpse of fiery red hair and then nothing. There was nothing there anymore. Not even light. Not even darkness. It was cold. So cold. So… cold… so…s… …

* * *

Wanda felt it the moment her world ended. She could swear that she had felt the bullets pierce her own flesh. Then there was nothing there. For the first time in her entire life, even when she and Pietro had gone to different schools, alone. This was _terrible. _How could the others live like this? With such aching loneliness that it felt as though there was no one else in the world. She wanted to blame Stark. She wanted to blame Hawkeye. She wanted to blame herself. But most of all, she blamed those damn robots.

She let out a scream. All of her pain, anger, sadness, frustrations and loneliness poured out of her at once and all there was, was a sea of nothing. No emotion, no feeling and no hope for mercy for any of the metal fiends that had taken her brother from her. The monster would pay for his life in his own oil. Ultron would feel how it felt when her entire universe was ripped out of her soul.

The world suddenly exploded. Buildings collapsed around her and the earth exploded beneath her feet. Whatever caused this was something that could end this war, in one way, or another. Briefly she registered Ultron going down in a sea of building rubble and broken trams, but her eyes were glued to something floating above the old church.

"Razrushitel' (Destroyer)"

* * *

Thor felt the moment that the Mage awakened. The earth beneath his feet almost seemed to sing in joy and the robots that surrounded him dropped like stones from the sky. This was something new. The power that permeated the air was almost choking him. This was how he had felt around Loki after he had come into his full powers.

He could see the figure of a man floating above the rising city. The hulk ran rampant beneath him, unleashing cries of fury at being forced out into the chaos. Only one being had this power.

"Loki!" He roared, anger spilling over him, like only the traitor could cause. "Loki, come down here you coward!" The being hung above the city motionless, and for a moment Thor feared that he might actually come down to greet him. The shape remained motionless, suspended above the city as chaos raged around those on the ground. Thor knew that there was a chance that Loki would fight against humanity in an effort to avenge himself.

He was more dangerous than ever now that he was desperate and with nothing to lose. There was a tense moment of silence; the entire universe seemed to have muted itself as the figure hovered motionless. Then the world seemed to explode. A pulse of energy and a loud scream shattered the floating island; he could see Stark go flying into the distance, beyond sight. Buildings crumbled and a scream rose from the dust that enveloped him entirely.

This was not Loki.

* * *

The mage was enraged and confused. The world he had woken up to was too big, too small, and too lonely. The man flew to the little boy that was just as lost and confused as he had been when the truth had come out. He flew through the pulse of energy that sent the heroes flying. The dust and rubble tore at him as he passed through the cloud. There was only one way to calm this storm. He remembered a voice in the wind when he had thrown every bit of magic at the walls of his room in Asgard. The Norns had spoken to him even then, but he had never truly listened to them, too desperate to find out why his father did not love him as much as his brother. The truth had been clear. He had just ignored it.

The boy was scared. He was scared of this power that he held, but couldn't control. So he fell.

"Blessed One." He whispered to the child in the mans body, "you have great power child. You do not have to be a slave to these mortals. The ones who have taken your mind are gone. They cannot touch you."

The child stared at him, his eyes almost pleading with him. _Let it be_ _true. _But he did not truly understand.

"I do not lie." And that, in itself, was both lie and truth. Loki had lied. He had lied to himself and to others. He had wrapped himself in lies.

Lokkju did not lie. He created mischief and controlled chaos, but he did not lie, for chaos was honesty so brutal that it turned the world upside down. It was when lies were preferred and honesty was believed to be false.

The boy seemed to look through him, looking into his soul. Then something happened that Lokkju feared more than emptiness. A power seemed to float from the Mage.

"Forverði.. (Restorer)" He breathed, as time seemed to rewind. The floating island came apart and reformed on the ground as if it had never left. Homes rebuilt themselves and the monsters that Ultron ad created were torn apart and their materials sent back to the earth like they had been found before humans.

"Eyðing… (Destruction)" This was no Mage that Lokkju held, but something far greater than even Odin in all his wisdom, and Heimdall in all his sight could comprehend. But the Norns had known, had seen what this boy could do.

"You could have ruled this flimsy planet. Yet you chose, even subconsciously, that these tiny people. These Humans must reach their potential and aim farther than they can reach. You are…" He searched for the word, desperate to give this boy a title that would embody him.

"You are góður konungur (Good King). But more than that. You are… Eilífur."

* * *

He could feel the energy rushing from him, from something indescribable. He could see the fabrics of the world moving together to rewrite the damage done. He could feel the suffering of Gaia, she was crying. It was sad. Something… wet… came to his eye. There was silence. A person was holding him. He remembered… suffocating. And two voices outside The Cold. They spoke to him. He connected with them. One was gone. That made him… sad. No… Angry. But so sad. He lashed out at the things that hurt the other voice. The world was healing. Someone was speaking. Eilífur. He liked it. That felt right. Eilífur.

Perhaps he should rest. The strong arms around him were good. This was good. A voice whispered to him from beyond Gaia. Lokkju. Lokkju was good. And that was good.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted you to have something before New Years. Hope you enjoyed this. **

**Side note, thank you for everyone who gave me a good review, you know who you are. **

**Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year.**

**Please review! It's really not hard. But please give me something a little more than the standard "liked it" or "more" or even "continue please." I actually find those a bit unhelpful and tend to ignore them when they come in. If you really don't have the time to send me something really lengthy but want to show your appreciation, a simple favorite is fine. But if you really want to show your appreciation then please actually give me a review, not a couple words with no meaning behind them, you'll find that you are more likely to get answers to questions or a reply from me by giving me more than just a "nice". **

**Thank you!**

**DNStalker**

**A/N 2: I recently updated this, the translations are there for the word. Eilífur however will not be translated, if you really want to know, go look it up yourself. (Sorry for being gruff).  
**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

It was almost dawn by the time the Avengers made it back to New York. Clint had flown them home as quickly as he was able, but going from one side of the world to another took far longer than both expected and needed. The team had been mostly silent for most of their ride. Bucky stubbornly refused to speak with them despite Steve's attempts to apologize. Natasha and Banner had been keeping a quiet solace in one of the corners of the ship. Thor had sat staring out of the windows, almost frantic, before finally sitting down and allowing him some sleep.

Barely a day before they had watched the world be ripped apart then thrown back together in a matter of seconds. Their minds were spinning, trying desperately to catch up and come to terms with what they had seen. Almost fifty feet above the earth, Iron Man had struggled to come up with a plausible way to save life, as life knew. Then a young boy, barely an adult had managed to destroy and remake the ground beneath them as if there had never ben a war at all. Thor had mistakenly told them that Loki had done it. That Loki was the floating man of Sokovia and that he had destroyed his competition. He knew himself to be wrong now. The man that had made the earth anew was not Loki. The traitor only knew how to hurt, destroy or cause conflict. He could hardly look the rest of his team in the eye. But now dawn was breaking and it was the earliest of a new day. Perhaps a new opportunity.

While Thors anger and remorse were deep and etched onto his face, Bruce had seen the boy that had caused their fight to end with minimal damage. He had seen him unconscious and vulnerable, but then he had been forced into the Hulk. His existence torn apart and pushed into something that he barely recognized. He could suddenly understand Clint's anger at Loki. He felt more though. He felt the hurt and the fear that must have been going through the man- Harry's- mind. Waking to a prison cell, a strange man looming over him. It would be terrifying. He glanced over at Bucky. He looked so dejected, so lost that even the Hulk, in the deep recesses of his mind, felt pity.

The Jet landed on Stark's balcony. Clint put it down lightly as to not disturb its precious cargo. Fury was waiting for them. His head was no longer covered in a ridiculous hat and he was wearing his long trench coat. He looked like the director that had been with them since the beginning. He didn't say anything, just walked silently back inside, his hands behind his back and seemingly at ease. That was how they found him moments later, reclining casually on one of Tony's couches, a drink in hand. It was clear by Tony's lack of comment how tired they really were. But each of them dragged themselves to a spot and sat back, intending to listen.

The debriefing was basically what they were expecting. How much damage there was (None, thanks to the floating man), the list of casualties (smaller than expected) and a list of detained villains (none). While the general same old, it seemed like more. Two new Enhanced were out there somewhere. Unchecked, unguarded, unsafe. Fury had asked Tony to allow SHIELD to use his old storage facility.

"Not by SHIELD." Was the response. Steve hadn't even bothered to chew him out. Fury left unimpressed and wary of his team. His _old_ team.

* * *

When Lokkju touched down on a small mountain, in the middle of who-knows-where, he was reminded of his new charges fragile condition. The boy looked almost dead, hanging limp in his arms. He contemplated the child for a moment, before urgency drove him into the trees. His magic guided him to the place where they could rest and heal. He subconsciously was aware of where they were going, when carrying the Norn Blessed it is not difficult to realize that the Norns wish to be as close to their childe as possible.

The little one in his arms let out a small moan of pain. He hid his pain well, even in sleep. He seemed so small, lying in his arms like a rag doll. It seemed wrong, this powerful being in his arms as weak as a mortal. Lokkju carried on up the mountain, his magic dancing in time with the earth. Chaos was an active force here in the wild, and his magic could feel it.

"Eilífur." Loki startled when Urd appeared before him, "You have named him Eilífur." She seemed disappointed, let down. Lokkju frowned slightly. He didn't understand her feelings towards this.

"I did."

"You named him." Understanding dawned on him. The Norns had blessed this boy and had been set on making them known to him when he woke. But Lokkju had named him; he had taken the sacred act of recognizing a child from the parents. But there was more when it came to the Norns chosen. He had effectively taken Eilífur out from under the puppet masters thumbs. He felt a pang of fear go through him.

"I would not reject him if that is your fear. And he needs you, so your life is assured so long as he vouches for you. You have made his journey harder though. Had we named him from the beginning his place in this universe would be assured, he would be above the mortals and the immortals. He would truly be eternal. Now he must walk a different path due to your mistake. I fare thee well immortal." Then she was gone, the faintest smell of apples on the air. Lokkju felt his magic dance in the chaos before returning to his core. The tug toward shelter vanished and Lokkju felt alone.

"There's nothing for it then." With a soft sigh Lokkju gathered his magic and leapt through the fabrics of space.

* * *

FRIDAY alerted Tony the moment Loki landed on his balcony. He had been in his lab, Banner was resting and Vision was off cruising the web, ironically. It was a moment of silence when he heard the alert, trying to decide if this was a joke. When he heard Clint unleash a cry of pure fury and the sound of his stuff breaking he knew that it was real. Really bad.

Loki was holding Sakovia's Floating Man and standing innocently in front of his bar, Clint was pointing an arrow at his face and Thor was standing frozen, his hammer raised threateningly. It was the way Thor's mouth was open and his eyes weren't blinking that clued Tony into the fact that they were both frozen.

"Ummm… Hi." It was pathetic honestly; that when Loki had first stood in front of his bar they had had a not-so-friendly banter session, but now, the best he could come up with was 'hi'. Sad, truly sad.

"Hello, Man of Iron. I have a request of you." The old Loki would have had a smirk and a wisecrack remark. This Loki however, was silent. Tony kept his silence as well, hoping that the villain would just become normal again. "I have need of a place to stay and train Eilífur until he is ready to take on the challenges the Norns shall present to him."

Tony almost snorted; the hilarity of the situation would completely bypass the others. They were slow and dense, in his opinion.

"You know Reindeer Games, the last time you and I stood face to face like this I got thrown out a window. _My _window. My _new_ window."

"And I remodeled your floor, if I recall." Loki replied in a deadpan. Tony smirked. Perhaps this wasn't so bad.

"I shall submit myself to be held in a cell until such a time as you choose to release me or I feel that Eilífur's magical training is complete and there is nothing more for me to teach him. Will that suffice?" The offer was tempting. Let Loki in his tower, and stop Bucky's pouting, seemed ideal.

"What's the catch?" He narrowed his eyes at the immortal.

"No harm can come upon mine or Eilífur's person during our stay here." The way Loki spoke made it seem as though their arrangement would be similar to a five star hotel vacation. The god wasn't threatened. It made Tony want to smack him. He was sorely tempted to take the offer; to let the god stay in his home just to satisfy is own curiosity.

"Let my team mates go, we will make a decision as a team or I will kick your ass to the curb and send Thor down after you." Loki just looked unaffected. Like the threat of sending his brother after him wasn't even a threat. The god blinked and the two frozen Avengers were across the room in a pile.

"LOKI!" Thor was on his feet in a matter of seconds.

"We have a deal Man of Iron. I am enacting Guest Rights." Thor seemed to trip over himself in order to stop his momentum. He looked both resigned and enraged. The thunder god reached out a hand to stop Clint from firing his arrow.

"Let me do this Thor." The archer growled, the arrow ready to be let loose.

"No. You must understand the wrath that will be incurred on you all should he be harmed. Guest rights protect him. But fear not, should he leave this building, the protection will be gone." Loki inclined his head, agreeing with Thors outburst.

"Yes, but why should I step outside your tower? Especially when all I need to survive is inside?" Thor gnashed his teeth in frustration. Loki deserved a thousand punishments, but he could not violate Guest Rights. Tony could see that the situation was growing out of hand. Quickly.

"Alright, I will accept. But that does not mean that you won't be kept under supervision. Nobody here trusts you, bear that in mind." With that Loki nodded and with a wave of his fingers, The Floating Man began to stir.

* * *

Bucky knew he had to be dreaming. After almost two years of searching and a month of fighting and hiding from HYDRA, looking for _his Harry_, the man was delivered to him directly. Though Loki carried him and he looked very different from when they had last seen each other. Bucky stood in the doorway, watching as the Avengers conversed, or rather fought, with Loki.

Harry stirred and Bucky could see the struggle to completely wake up. The Avengers were too preoccupied with making sure Loki didn't make a wrong move that they had forgotten about who he was holding. Finally, Clint burst out in anger, shouting and waving his arrows around.

"I WILL NOT STAY HERE IF _HE _IS HERE!" That was what did it. Harry was awake in an instant. Barely a second later Hawkeye was on the floor halfway across the room and Steve was being held at knifepoint. There was a wild look in his eye. He didn't recognize anyone.

**A/N: Sorry its been so long. My muse has had a long hibernation this year. It took me forever to sort out this chapter. I rewrote it at least six times before I could get a clear view of what was ahead. So Sorry. **

**Hope you enjoyed it. You all know the drill, no flames please, and give me a bit more than "nice", "liked it" or "can't wait for more".**

**Don't feel like you have to give a review if you don't want to say anything else other than those things, but it would be kind of nice if you did. But you don't have to. **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Bucky was frozen in place, unable to think or react to the sight of his brother, in all but name, held at knife point by the person he had worked so hard to find. Loki (or Lokkju, as he preferred now) stood by and did nothing, watching Harry as he threatened Captain America.

"Harry!" Bucky's shout meant nothing apparently, as it didn't stop Harry's actions as he pulled his arm back to deliver the fatal blow. Bucky, in a sudden flash of panic, lunged across the space separating him from Harry and knocked his friend down. _There!_ A hint of confusion crossed Harry's face as he found himself suddenly on the floor. Then the emotion was covered up by a blank façade. Harry rolled to his feet and charged again, his knife flashing as it swiped at Bucky, trying to maneuver his partner away from his prey.

"Harry, please!" Not one to beg, Bucky hoped that his plea would trigger something in his old friend. Nothing. The attacks kept coming and Bucky found himself tiring. Harry had always been younger and more agile than him, with a greater stamina and pain tolerance. He had seen Harry go months without food, being tortured for hours everyday and not give in. Harry had been trained to defeat him, and Harry – Weapon – had _never_ failed. Bucky felt the knife pierce his side, making his own attacks softer and exhaustion hit harder. He knew that he would either end up dead or with Steve's body lying on the floor beside him.

Harry hit him in the face and followed that with a kick to the back of his knee, sending him to the ground. Risking a glance around the room, Bucky could see his friends watching the fight. All of them looked ready to leap in, especially Steve, but they all knew that they couldn't compete. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the glint of the knife in the lights as it came down at him. He closed his eyes, accepting his own failure.

The knife embedded itself in his metal shoulder, cutting the circuits and rendering it useless.

"Recite the Primary Directive." Harry ordered. It had always been orders with Harry. He had taken orders and given orders, there had never been asking or giving options. Bucky had been ordered to recite the Prime Directive before and after every fight against his failsafe. The reciting had become a ritual almost. But this wasn't a continuation of a ritual. This was a chance to prove that he didn't need to be 'taken care of'. This was a choice.

"Recite the Primary Directive." Harry ordered again, his emotionless voice made shivers go down Bucky's spine. He had to choose. Silence would mean he was betraying Harry and – in his mind – HYDRA. He hesitated.

And a moment too long it appeared because Harry raised another knife – out of nowhere – and buried it in Bucky's heart.

* * *

There was a moment of utter silence. The Avengers stared in shock as Bucky was cut down, Steve dropped to his knees grief, even Lokkju's eyes widened in surprise. His hands beginning to form a spell.

The reality crashed back down to the occupants of the room. Steve let out a guttural cry of rage and charged at Harry. His shield nowhere in sight. Lokkju rushed to Bucky in hopes of stopping the bleeding. Harry remained oblivious. He reacted to the man coming at him in anger, but the Primary Directive replayed itself in his mind.

"_Hail HYDRA. Death to our enemies. Hail HYDRA. Obedience is prosperity. Hail HYDRA! Cut off one head, two more shall take its place! HAIL HYDRA! America must fall."_

The battle cry mixed with orders drove his actions as he dodged and lunged around the tall blonde man before him. He had taken out a snake, and now the nest-mates were coming for revenge. But this one was familiar in a strange way. Then he saw it. A vision of a man in a blue uniform, his weapon a shield. The Primary Target. Harry forced his attacks to blend into a different style. An unpredictable mess of martial arts and outright street brawling. He moved faster, hit harder and cut quicker. The Primary Target was weakening, _there!_ He saw the falter. He took advantage and struck.

Steve could see he was losing. When Bucky had warned him not to fight Harry head to head, he had thought his brother was crazy. Sure Harry was probably good, but he had fought the Winter Soldier and survived.

"You only survived because HYDRA wanted you alive. The only reason Natasha is alive is because she wasn't our target. And yes, you fought me and lived. But I've fought Harry. And I _always lose_." Bucky had argued. Silently choosing to keep his skepticism to himself the conversation had ended.

Now, he was regretting his arrogance. He stumbled and Harry caught it. Steve knew that he was done for.

"Objective Override: Blank Slate Protocol." Bucky croaked out as he fought against the pull of unconsciousness. Harry fell like a sack of rocks. His eyes open, but empty and blank. Bucky had saved his life.

* * *

"What was that?" Stark demanded. Bucky, who had passed out on the floor, was unable to give answers. But the answers didn't come from the ex-soldier.

"A trigger phrase. Designed to incapacitate the one who has it implanted in their subconscious. Like when a hypnotist tells you that you will dance like a chicken when he says the word 'nugget' for example. Only these are designed as fail-safes. I had a few, from Before. Bucky had some too, probably still does." Natasha Romanova explained from where she was still standing, her gun pointed at Harry, like he would move and attack at any minute. And wasn't that a sobering reality.

Bruce had seen failsafe's, trigger words, and hypnosis before. But looking into the blank eyes of the young Harry Potter, he knew he was unprepared for what Bucky was going to tell him. Loki had fixed the super soldiers heart problem the best he could before exhaustion took over, and Bruce had been left to wait for him to come around.

While they waited, Bruce had Harry moved to a bed and restrained their prisoner in case he woke before anyone else could get to him. Tony and Loki had dropped into a quiet conversation off to one side; Tony was probably laying down the rules for the god. Bruce took his moment alone to examine the child on his medical bed. He was young that much was obvious, barely in his twenties. He had jagged scars from past beatings or old 'punishments', but his file suggested he should be nearing Tony or _his_ age. But here he was, a walking impossibility like his partner. Bucky was still fast asleep. Recovering from his ordeal was a fair guess.

"Hey Bruce!" Tony called from his spot by the balcony, beside Loki.

"Yeah?"

"Lokkju has some amazing scientific theories. He could help solve our... ahem… problem." Tony was too serious about this. It was a fake seriousness, but that had never meant anything good for anyone.

"Oh?" Sometimes it was better to play along.

"You know… the _problem_. That thing we need to… do. Urgently. Well, slowly urgently, but its kind of urgent in a sense."

"What exactly do you want to do Tony?"

"The Ultron Program. I know I fucked up with it, but from what Loki's been saying-"

"No! We are not doing this. Not again. _Lokkju_ is here for one reason only, and its not to be your Guinea Pig." Tony stood still for a moment, watching Bruce in shock and a bit of fear. After a second he nodded and moved away. Probably to fix himself a drink or sulk in the basement. For a moment Bruce felt a little afraid that the Other Guy might make an appearance, then a little guilty for snapping at Tony like that. Then he remembered that Tony had made Ultron in the first place because of he _need_ for recognition. In that respect, Wanda was right. Tony never learned form his mistakes.

Bruce kept his eyes on Harry. He looked so young, so innocent, as he lay sleeping. He looked like he had never been affected by the cruelty of the world, despite his harsh and brutal past. He knew though, that the only reason Harry looked so unaffected was because he had once again been whipped clean of any memories or emotions. Bucky had taken it all. Despite the reasons behind Bucky's actions, Bruce hated the soldiers' choice. He should have tried something else, tried talking, tried a tranquilizer, _something_.

Bruce swept a piece of Harry's hair aside, looking at his young face. Staring into his green eyes.

Green eyes?

Harry was awake, staring at him in a blank way with very little emotion. He was _awake_.

"Hello Harry. My name is Bruce. Bruce Banner. I am your doctor." He introduced himself to the young man on the bed. Harry only stared at him with unwavering eyes.

"Hello Bruce Banner. Where is Lokkju?"

* * *

Lokkju listened to the mortals and waited. Eilífur lay in the Healing Rooms, unconscious from whatever the metal-armed human had done. The man with the odd beard kept talking in a loud and obnoxious manner and kept cracking jokes with the others man in the glasses.

He had brought Lokkju here to help him. To teach him the balance of the universe and how to control the energy in the earth. The humans were meant to be a safe haven between him and the Norns, to ensure that Eilífur would be taught what he needed to know and would vouch for him when the time came. He had screwed up, he readily admitted it, but he needed to ensure that the Norn Blessed would ascend to his place in the Universe. That was _his_ only purpose.

"Loki." Lokkju turned to face his Once-Brother. Thor the Asgardian. "Loki what have you brought here?"

"If you knew you would rejoice, Prince of Asgard. This time was foretold. The time of the Ascended, the true Master."

"You think I would rejoice with learning of your true depravity. Using a child to unleash chaos? I will stop you Loki. I will stop you and there will be no mercy from father or me." Lokkju laughed softly. The Once-Brother believed that Odin could stop the Ascended once he had taken his place? Ridiculous. Eilífur was meant to stand above god and men.

"Thor. You are not alone in this universe, nor are the mortals. Others came before us, and others before them. Before even the Norns and their golden threads of time and fate. Do you not remember the songs Our Mother sang to us in the night? The songs She sang as we fought and lived and die and were reborn? Do you not remember?"

"Loki you talk in riddles. Speak clearly or stay your lying tongue."

"_Of life unfair and hardship frought_

_Of golden crown two brother fought;_

_A darkness lies in Silence deep_

_But hero lies in endless sleep._

_From three realms this hero's get_

_And of who's life the Norns have bet;_

_He who follows fates cruel game,_

_And though one person has five names._

_This hero has been tried and taught,_

_Despaired and broken, this hero's heart._

_But of his soul and spirit's strength,_

_His quest not over, but hath more length._

_A boy of barely manhood gained,_

_A Soldier with mind deeply maimed,_

_A Healer with a desperate strife,_

_A Blacksmith who has gained new life,_

_A Princeling with a broken bond,_

_A Servant who has been done great wrongs,_

_A Witch and Brother with scarred minds,_

_A Fighter who has lived two lives. _

_These bands of brothers, these glowing souls,_

_Whose stories more than can be foretold,_

_Shall band together and defend_

_The world from which Blessed shall Ascend. _

_But should these brothers fail and fall,_

_Then darkness comes for one and all._

_And of Norns Bless'd, Death comes for last,_

_And times of hope have long since past._"

A silence descended over the room. Thor stood pale beside Lokkju and Tony had stopped his endless chatter. Natasha had stood from her place on the couch and stepped closer, drawn by the magic in the words. There was no doubt in anyone's mind what this was and what it meant.

"Lokkju?" Bruce peered out of the doorway to the medical rooms, "Harry is asking for you."

**TBC**

**A/N: Hello lovelies. Sorry about the hiatus, but I promised another chapter would be up in September. So here you go. I hope you enjoyed and will review. Thank you for your patience and have a wonderful week.**

**Also, I have an Important poll on my profile about this fic and my other HP/Avengers 'Human Rights', so please vote.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Tony sat in his lab staring into nothing, his hands absently fixing Bucky's new arm. The old one had been damaged in the fight with Harry. Loki-_Lokkju _had revealed quite a bit with the poem he had recited. Prophecy actually. Tony didn't really believe in prophecy or Fate for that matter. People either did what they did for themselves or because they were mentally unsound, not because three ancient ladies decided that they did. Prophecies were for fantasy books or crappy movies. They didn't belong in reality.

Tony snapped back to himself cursing. He had tabbed himself with his screwdriver. He cursed again and wrapped one of his less dirty towels over it.

"Tony? You ok?" Pepper. Shit. Pepper didn't know about the crazy megalomaniac amnesiac with an all-powerful, ex-HYDRA, nutcase.

"Yeah Pep. Just fine. Can you come down? I have something I need to tell you… Actually I'll come up." He stood from his workbench and inched himself around the piles of parts that had accumulated in his lab. He really needed to get someone on that. Dum-E wasn't really doing anything… never mind.

"What's wrong? Who do I need to apologize to?" Pepper. She always got him in a way the… guests… didn't. But this time she was a little behind on the times.

"Pepper. You know how we banished Loki back to Ass-Gard?"

"Yes"

"Well, he camebackandnowwehaveaescapeegodlivinginthetowerwithBuckysexbestfriend." Tony verbally exploded, trying to rush past the more…_shocking… _parts of the story.

"Slow down." Pepper ordered, her face taking on that 'I_'m so done with you'_ expression that it did so well.

"Loki's back, and Harry tried to kill Steve."

"_What!_ Oh my god is Steve ok? Is he alive? Did I hear you say Loki?"

"Yes. Pepper… He brought Harry to us. He invoked some weird magic tradition or something, making it impossible for us to harm him inside Stark tower without Insta-Karma. Said Harry was some kind of Superpowered King slash God of some sort."

Pepper was silent, listening with a deadpan expression. She was trying to hear him out before she exploded on him. Tony knew that. But he still wanted her to sit down and listen to him without judging for once.

"Listen, Pepper. I know I should have warned you before you came home, but… Loki – Lokjuu as he likes to be called now – told Thor that there is a cosmic prophecy about Harry and the Avengers. And… I'm sorry. Just aliens, gods, other dimensions, and now _prophecies?!_ I am feeling _really_ out of my depth right now and I need you. I just… need you."

Pepper sat in silence for a long moment, her brain whirring behind her stoic face.

"Alright. I'm here Tony. I'm here."

"Thanks."

"This doesn't get you out trouble though."

"… I know."

* * *

Lokkju stood beside Eilífur's bedside. The Blessed One sat upright in the bed, watching his supplicant.

"You remember me. The soldier said you would remember nothing." Lokkju began.

"I remember what was before. HYDRA took everything from Before, erased it. But the Norns have given me something I had forgotten even before HYDRA. I know that I was once Harry Potter. But before even that I was the Norns Chosen."

"They spoke to you?"

"They told me only what I must do to regain my position. The position you undermined when you went against their orders. They told me that you would teach and serve me until I joined them."

"Indeed." Lokkju nodded, trying to see where this was taking them, but understanding of the positions they were in now. "And what is your task?"

"I must drive Thanos from the fabric of the world. The universe does not recognize him and is trying to drive him away. He is a stain on the universe that needs to be driven out. That is the first part of my task. Next I am to topple Asgard's pride and remind them of their vows." Eilífur's tasks were immense, and very nearly impossible to achieve for any normal human or Asgardian. There was even a tiny part of Loki left in Lokkju that wanted to push for the throne of Asgard to be given to him. He crushed it before it could take root inside his mind.

"I will do as the Norn's have commanded. Have you given thought to where you will begin?"

"I will rest and regain my strength. Once I am well I shall begin to make plans." Lokkju nodded and gave a small bow, before leaving the room with his head held high and back straight.

Thor stood outside the room.

"Loki. I would speak with you." He demanded. Lokkju ignored him and continued towards his living quarters, the oaf trailing behind. Though he was a prince of Asgard, Lokkju was a servant of the Blessed One; even on his knees he stood higher than Thor.

"If you will not speak with me than I cannot force you, but you will listen to me. I know your tricks and I have warned my friends to be wary of you. If you plan on pulling the world I love apart, using that boy, then I will destroy you." The warning hit something inside Lokkju, it made him angry, furious even.

"Hear me _Odinson_." He hissed. Sneering the words, "I am tasked with teaching and protecting the Blessed One; The King among Gods. If he calls for the end of this world and all others then I shall heed his call and obey. There is no All-Father to threaten him, no supreme ruler of all. Asgard will bow to him, and when they do, all others will follow. Your words are empty." Lokkju left the Aesir prince standing in the hall, gaping after him.

The Aesir would not learn until his king pounded them into the dirt and pulled their golden realm down around their ears. His master's tasks came back to him, sending a thrill of fear up his spine. Thanos was coming to Midgard, the Norns would not have commanded Eilífur to destroy him otherwise.

He shook himself away from his dark thoughts. His master needed to recover and learn to harness the magic inside him. After that, the rest was up to him. Setting his mind to his task, Lokkju began to meditate.

* * *

Pietro stood beside his sister, staring at the world beyond the window. He had seen the beauty of his city destroyed twice, then put back together. He knew the changes in their lives was bothering his sister, they were bothering _him_.

But more than that… He died in Sokovia. He had been gunned down and his life had flashed before his eyes. Then there was something inside him, pulling at him from all sides until something had snapped back into place and he was lying on the deck of a rescue boat.

Something inside him had changed. He felt different, like a piece of him that had been missing was suddenly returned. He felt better, more controlled and more coherent than he had in years.

It was something he had begun to feel when in the presence of the casket; the one Wanda had been so drawn to.

His sister drew closer to him, gaining comfort from his presence. She had felt his loss in a way he hadn't thought possible. Her magic was growing stronger, almost uncontrollable. He had heard that Lokkju would be teaching the boy, perhaps he would teach her as well.

"Ya vidchuvayu tse moyu shkiru P'yetro. Ya ne znayu, skilʹky chasu ya mozhu tse zrobyty." _I can feel it under my skin Pietro. I don't know how much longer I can do this._ Wanda whimpered pressing closer to her older sibling. He hugged her tightly. He would have to act quickly before anyone found out about the possibility of losing control. They would kill her before she could be a danger to anyone else. He needed to speak with Lokkju before the end of the day. If he refused, he would take his sister and run. They had no where to go, but as long as they were alive he didn't care.

* * *

Clint loosed another arrow at the training dummy, obliterating it with a single touch of the arrowhead. He drew another and fired, leaving ashes in the place of the third target. Loki was in the tower. Loki who took over his mind and made him kill friends, allies, _his people_. He loosed another arrow. Then there was the boy. He could destroy a city in a second then pull it back together.

"You are angry." Vision, the oddly coloured… _thing_… that he was had been watching for some time. Clint didn't know what to call him. He wasn't a human and he wasn't a robot. He wasn't a mutant either, and he was definitely not an Asgardian. It baffled him.

"No shit." He deadpanned, then loosed another arrow, blowing the head off a mannequin.

"I do not understand why. You hate Lokkju's former self, but at the same time you fear the one who he protects. I find this illogical." Visions naiveté bugged him, but he wouldn't say anything. He was still new to the world and human interaction. "Lokkju is not Loki, and the boy he protects has done nothing but good. It would be wiser to fear your SHIELD or Thor."

"Yeah, but SHIELD didn't scoop stuff out of my head, and Thor can't bring people back to life. There's a bit of a difference." Vision cocked his head, then nodded. Accepting the explanation. The, without warning, he blasted a training dummy to pieces.

"Nice."

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

_Harry was dreaming again. He couldn't remember much of what happened before he had woken up in the arms if the Norns with knowledge pouring into his mind, but what he did was brought back in nightmares. He remembered the burning cold that filled his lungs until he couldn't breath. He remembered the man with the metal arm. They had been close, for a while. _ _He remembered even less from before the cold and the pain. The metal armed man was always there, lurking in shadows and always watching. Harry remembered being in a cage, locked away and hurting. He remembers very little of that time, when he was someone else. He didn't even know how much time had passed between that time and where he was now. But for now, he dreamed. _ _He dreamed of a castle with moving staircases and a red room with a roaring fire and laughing redheads. A room filled from floor to ceiling with books and a hall without a roof. He knew that he loved that place once, before he had been sent away. Now he felt nothing but a sense of curiosity of what that place had been like. _

_"__It was your home, for a time Eilífur_." _Verðandi – the Norn of the present – stood beside him suddenly. Her eyes directed towards the remembered image of a castle. She looked almost sad as she stared at the ancient school her favoured had attended. _ _"__It still stands, but it is no longer a part of your Wyrd. The prophecy that bound you like chains has shattered and lies meaningless in the hall of the Unspeakable." Verðandi gave him a slight bow and faded into nothingness. He took one last look at the place he was told had been home, before turning away and returning to the Now. _ He woke slowly, taking a moment to reaffirm where he was. The dream was hazy at best, but a sense of calm had overcome him. Like a great weight had been lifted from him. He lay in silence, staring around his room. The atmosphere was familiar but not entirely unwelcome. There was a large window taking up most of the wall across the way. He could vaguely remember a conversation with Lokkju before he returned to sleep. He stood, his feet unsteady from the time he had spent unconscious.

"Can I help you?" A voice, from out of the walls, asked. Eilífur jumped, looking around wildly for whoever was speaking.

"Who are you?" He demanded, his bare feet slipping on the floor.

"That's FRIDAY. Tony's AI interface. We used to have JARVIS, but…. Well, that's kind of a long story." A man stood in the doorway. He was well muscled and looked strong, if he didn't have his shoulder hunched inwards like he was afraid. He removed a small pair of wire-framed glasses from his nose and looked at Eilífur with gentle brown eyes. He vaguely remembered wearing glasses. Eilífur reached up to touch his own eyes, searching for something he no longer needed.

"I'm Bruce… Bruce Banner. I've been looking after you until Lokkju is well enough to start your… training." The man had sad eyes, Eilífur noticed. Sad eyes and a sad smile. His stomach growled, interrupting his thoughts. "I require sustenance." Bruce huffed out a laugh. "Come on." Eilífur followed Bruce out of the medical room and down a hall, large windows taking up most of the space where hard concrete should have been. The hall was bright with a brilliant view of a city Eilífur didn't know the name of.

"Where am I?" He asked Bruce.

"Stark Tower, New York City." Both places sounded familiar, he just wasn't sure how. He had heard the name Stark before, mostly in the context of orders and somewhere he remembered the feeling of betrayal. New York was a city in America, he knew that much. He also remembered coming here frequently, with someone else.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Bruce was confused about the question, Eilífur could hear it in his voice.

"Why am I here?"

"You were somewhere else before, they did horrible things to you. The Avengers rescued you and we brought you here. You were… asleep through most of it. The people you were with before liked to keep you like that whenever you weren't needed." Bruce was trying to explain, stuttering along into some semblance of an answer that Eilífur could understand.

"I understand." He didn't feel a need to say much more than that, except for the fact that he didn't, not really. He had memories of another, tall with dark hair and an intense look about him. "I… I would like to meet the others that reside in the tower now." Bruce looked wary, Eilífur could understand why. He was an unknown factor in home territory. He wasn't sure that letting him out of the room would be the best idea.

"Umm… alright."

* * *

When Eilífur stepped out of the elevator and into the large lounge of Stark Tower there was a change in the air. The conversations over liquor and coffee stopped, and Thor's hand tightened on the handle of his hammer. The largest change, however, was in Bucky. Though the man Harry had been trained to be was gone, there was still the muscle memory of a trained soldier. He was recognizable to Bucky in the way he moved and held himself, when he was a stranger in all else.

"Harry…" His voice was quiet, even in the stillness of the room.

"I know you. We have… worked together?" Eilífur was unsure, that much was obvious. Bucky couldn't help but smile a little. Harry remembered him. In some bleak and faded way, his friend and partner remembered him.

"Something like that, yeah."

"Well… Not that this isn't a touching little reunion here, but I think we've all got a few questions." Tony, ever the loudmouth and desperate to be the center of attention, cut in – startling the pair. Eilífur turned to look at the billionaire. His eyes raking over each of the assembled fighters.

"Where is Lokkju?" The question sounded almost absent minded to the crowd.

"Loki is not welcome here." Thor said bluntly. There was no missing the finality in his voice. The name of the errant god putting many on edge. There was a visible tightening of Clint's fist over the handle of his coffee mug. Loki was not welcome here at all. Trying to lighten the sudden dark mood, Tony began the questioning with his usual charm and lack of tact.

"So… You gonna try and kill any of Steve again?"

"Who?" Eilífur asked. He couldn't recall a "Steve". Nor did he remember attacking one. A blonde man, simple in design but well built and obviously tense, stood from a couch, a shield held loosely in one hand. "Me." "Oh." Was all Eilífur said to that. Barely sparing him a glance. "I must find Lokkju. There is important work to be done." He turned back towards the elevator, leaving the Avengers without so much as a "by your leave". Bruce trailed after him with a shrug. "He's weird." Was the official sum up of the short meeting, courtesy of Tony.

"That's what a Wipe does Stark." Bucky deadpanned, staring after his friend. "It takes everything you are and wipes the slate completely clean. He has no idea who he is and how he should behave. It will take some time for his to get some - "

"Personality?" Bucky glared at Stark, but it was true. Harry, at the moment, was running on flashes of memory and unclear orders to dictate what he should do. To be fair though, to see him walking around an expressing interest of his own without any reconditioning was a miracle. He should have been like a robot, following orders or sitting aimlessly until he was needed. Perhaps this was a magic thing? Bucky didn't know for sure, but he was just happy that there was something of his partner left.

"Yeah. Personality."

Despite the brainwashing and the conditioning, Harry had always had a distinct personality, no matter how hard HYDRA had tried to squash it. He had always been… _Harry_. And that was why Bucky cared for him.

* * *

In the days following Eilífur's reawakening a lull had come over the city of New York. Crime was at an all time low, and villains seemed to have decided to give conquering the world a break. All at once. The Avengers, for the first time since their founding, felt useless in a city that seemingly didn't need them. Eilífur felt differently. Since he had begun his training with Lokkju, he could feel the subtle shift in the world's energies. Something bigger was coming. The Mad Titan Thanos had set his eyes upon Midgard and the amount of people the world hosted - A fine gift for Death.

The Avenger could not face him alone, they didn't have the abilities needed, nor the brute force. They could combat Chitauri until they dropped dead of exhaustion, but the Titan would take something more. Something only the Norns knew. Life at the tower was quiet for the pair of outsiders, despite the many misfits that resided there. Though both had found companionship with The Vision. Lokkju and Vision spent many long conversations together during the hours when Eilífur's energy needed to recharge. Eilífur didn't envy their easy companionship, not their delight in intelligent conversation – he simply understood neither significance nor the need for it.

It had been a few weeks past his initial awakening when he first was reintroduced to the Maximoff twins. Or rather Pietro himself. They had kept themselves away from the rest of the Avengers with good reason – Wanda's steady loss of control. It was long past Eilífur's awakening that Pietro brought his sister to Lokkju and the Blessed One, unconscious and bleeding magical energy.

"Please… Help her."

**TBC**

**A/N: Hello all. I'm alive! It's been a rough couple of months trying to wrangle this story into submission, but here it is. I finally have a direction to go just not enough time to write it all. *sigh*. But Yay! Hope you enjoy this. **

**DNStalker**


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